ArkanPaws Magazine Winter 2008 Issue 4, Volume 1

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Serving Northwest Arkansas pets and people since 1990

ACCREDITED PRACTICE

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Paws for Thought Editor’s Letter

W

hat a year it’s been! Can you believe that 2008 is nearly over? So much has happened this year: more pet food recalls across the nation, Springdale passed an ordinance against roadside puppy vendors, For Pets Sake launched its discount microchip program. And, did everyone see the photo of the four-eared cat on the internet and TV? (I suspect that photo got more hits than either of the presidential candidates’ websites!)

There is so much to be grateful for, and I want to thank each and every person who has helped to make ArkanPaws Magazine such a great publication. There’s just no way I could possibly list every one of you, but you know who you are! Our advertisers, writers, contributors, readers, fans, and those who actually help us to get the magazine designed, printed, and distributed, THANK YOU! It’s been wonderful meeting all of the new people I’ve met in order to write articles about them, and I’ve really enjoyed getting all of the photos from readers for the pet gallery! NWA definitely has some pet lovers!

There have been some wonderful events recently! Be sure to check out the photos of PetPalooza and PugFest! I sure had a great time at PetPalooza—there were lots of wonderful dogs (and their owners) in attendance. Northwest Arkansas Young Professionals did a wonderful job of organizing and putting on the event, and I hope they’ll do it again next year!

In this issue we have a breeder of Springer Spaniels in the spotlight, and a new business, American K-9 Academy. I hope you’ll get a kick out of the article about Ribbie, the dog model. Be sure to read the article about the pet food recalls of last year (relevant to this year’s recalls, too).

I’ve truly enjoyed compiling this year’s issues of ArkanPaws Magazine. We’ve brought attention to local pet issues, pet businesses, and pets in general! It’s been our mission to encourage responsible pet ownership and to bring attention to the pet community. I hope we’ve succeeded!

Sincerely, Leslie K. Ray Editor-in-Chief

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ArkanPaws

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™

ArkanPaws Magazine™ is published four times a year on a quarterly basis by Angel Pet Sitters, Inc., PO Box 6601, Springdale, AR 72766. ArkanPaws Magazine™ is distributed free to newstands and businesses throughout NWA. Mailed subscription rate is $12.00 per year in the United States. U.S. Postage paid at Springdale, AR. ArkanPaws Magazine™ is distributed freely to readers in Northwest Arkansas. Publisher is not liable for all content (including editorial and illustrations provided by advertisers) of advertisements published and does not accept responsibility for any claims made against the publisher. It is the advertiser’s or agency’s responsibility to obtain appropriate releases on any item or individuals pictured in an advertisement. Reproduction of this magazine in whole or in part is prohibited without prior written permission from the publisher. The opinions and views of the articles in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of ArkanPaws Magazine™.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ArkanPaws Magazine,

PO Box 6601, Springdale, AR 72762 PRINTED IN THE USA

ArkanPaws Magazine™ is in no way affiliated with any other businesses using the name “ArkanPaws”, and is therefore not to be associated with such.

PUBLISHER

Leslie Ray CIRCULATION DIRECTOR

Edna Zemites SALES DIRECTOR

Leslie Ray MANAGING EDITOR

Leslie Ray ART DIRECTOR

Debbie Calhoun PRESIDENT

Leslie Ray ArkanPaws Magazine P.O. Box 6601 Springdale, AR 72762 Phone: 479.750.7171 arkanpawsmag@hotmail.com

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CONTENTS 8

Linda Undernehr Award-Winning Pet Artist

10

Non-Profit Spotlight Northwest Arkansas Animal Rescue

11

Non-Profit Directory

12

Business Spotlight American K-9 Academy

15

24

Events Recap PetPalooza and Pug Fest

16

Pet Health News Food Safety, As It Should Be

21

Pet Calendar of Events

22

A Day in the Life of a Dog Model

24

Breeder Spotlight

22

English Springer Spaniels From Chartwell

26

NWA Pet Gallery

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Ask Bitsy Column, Classifieds

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Pawsitive Play Fun Page for Kids

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Business Directory/ Ad Index

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ORIGINAL COVER ILLUSTRATION

BY LINDA UNDERNEHR

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Opt to Adopt!

Suki Aki What a sweet face! Suki Aki has lost some weight since this picture. She is a fun-loving dog who loves to sleep with her owner. She likes her foster Pug brother and other canines in the family. She hasn't had an “accident” in the house yet. She spent the first part of her life having puppies. Please adopt her and help her enjoy her well-deserved retirement.

She will show you how to love! If you are interested in giving Suki-Aki her forever home, please contact Pug Rescue of NWA at pugmomma72712@yahoo.com or call Reta Parton at 479-751-6947. An application can be obtained on our website, http://puglover.petfinder.com.

Badger

Badger is waiting for his new home. He is such a lover! He loves kids and other dogs.

He does a cute little spin when you say, “Let's GO!" He enjoys riding in a car but does need to be safely secured to your seatbelt. Badger is 7 years old. He would be good with toddlers and teenagers. He just wants your attention and to be with you.

Please contact Pug Rescue of NWA if you are interested in giving Badger his forever home. Contact pugmomma72712@ yahoo.com or call Reta Parton at 479-751-6947. Applications are available at http://puglover.petfinder.com.

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Linda Undernehr Local Pet Artist Racks Up Awards

BY LESLIE RAY

I

met Linda Undernehr on a warm, sunny afternoon in Lowell. We had communicated by e-mail about her work, when she agreed to do a cover for ArkanPaws Magazine. But, I had never met her until that bright, balmy day. I’d seen some of her paintings in the For Pets Sake art show about two years ago. I remember the awe that enveloped me, gazing at the masterpiece she had created from a common tabby cat and a profusion of bright pink blossoms. Today I was about to meet that person, and I felt a twinge of excitement at the prospect.

Driving out to Linda’s home I mused about the local celebrities I’ve had the honor of meeting since I started ArkanPaws Magazine. (Okay, so maybe they don’t see themselves as celebrities, but I do!) It’s so enlightening to put a face to someone I’ve heard about, or someone whose talent I’ve admired. I knew that Linda wouldn’t disappoint me. There’s something so refreshing about her art, and I sensed from her work that she had a calm, introspective, yet convivial personality.

Still, I wasn’t prepared for the person who met me at the door to the

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comfortable home that sat a short way out in the country. What struck me first was her lovely face. Her smile lit up the place, inviting me in. From somewhere within the house, her dog, Rusty, came running to the door, eager, yet protective. Linda’s lovely artwork is displayed on the wall of her home, each piece a colorful jewel, beckoning you to take a closer look.

We introduced ourselves and sat down to talk. I asked Linda a little about herself…how she became interested in art, and why she found her subjects so inspiring. Linda was born in Springdale, Arkansas. She says that horses were her first love, and she enjoyed drawing them.

(They are still a favorite subject.) She attended college and obtained a degree in Commercial Art. Wasting no time after graduating, she plunged into illustration, working for Wal-Mart Stores. She was employed there for 10 years, and coincidentally, met her husband Michael, in the Wal-Mart parking lot! Linda subsequently worked at Hanna’s, illustrating and designing labels for their products.

These days, Linda freelances, doing commissioned illustrations and portraits. She says she enjoys the relative freedom of freelancing. Her illustrations are done mostly in acrylics. Her subject matter is usually nature, and she prefers a realistic style. One of her current projects is a portrait she is doing for a local veterinarian. I can see how she must enjoy working from home, where she spends time with her husband, Michael, who owns L&M Mowers.

He has a shop next to their home, where he sells and repairs mowers. The Undernehr’s have a son, Jonathan, who is 22. They also have an abundance of pets. In addition to Rusty, who met me at the front door, Linda says they have: 2 horses, Mindy (raised by Linda since she was only 3 days old) and Page (nicknamed Bubba); 2 other dogs, Sweetie (a lab mix) and Silky (a pointer/setLINDA UNDERNEHR ter mix); and finally, 3 farm www.luillustration.com cats, Meggie (the subject of luart@cox.net one of her portraits, Kibby (a Manx), and Peeps (a shy little 479-751-6269 kitty who rarely comes out of hiding). It’s obviously a happy household—one that inspires Linda to put her artistic talents to the test.

Linda’s paintings have won awards in several shows, including the Artists of Northwest Arkansas show at the Arts Center of the Ozarks, and the Ozark Art Alliance Show at Sager Creek Art Center in Siloam Springs. Her work has been displayed in galleries and businesses throughout Northwest Arkansas.

Among her hobbies, Linda enjoys walking, bicycle and horse riding, watching movies and reading, playing board games and “hanging out” with family and friends.

I am genuinely impressed with Linda and her appealing illustrations. If you love nature and you love art, I would encourage you to visit Linda’s website to take a look at some of her beautiful work. We have provided a few images of her art for your enjoyment, but to see the full spectrum of her talent, you should really visit her website! G

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NON-PROFIT SPOTLIGHT

Northwest Arkansas Animal Rescue

BY MARY LOU POHLMANN AND PAM LAMB

M

ention Mandy Keenen’s name at an event concerning animals and chances are nearly everyone will recognize her name. Mandy has been involved with rescue in Northwest Arkansas for many years. Mandy Keenen founded Northwest Arkansas Animal Rescue, a non profit 501c-3 agency, because she realized Northwest Arkansas had a serious problem with unwanted animals. Northwest Arkansas Animal Rescue and Mandy’s mission is to help those that have no voice here in Northwest Arkansas. Each day hundreds of animals are put down in our city shelters, and many are run over in our streets.

Our vets get calls regularly about unwanted animals that have been abandoned and are wandering the streets. Mandy along with the other rescue organizations have been working to alleviate the pet overpopulation in Northwest Arkansas.

The number of strays and homeless animals has drastically escalated in our area over the last few years. Each day 10,000 humans are born in the U.S. – and each day 70,000 puppies and kittens are born. Thousands of healthy homeless animals are euthanized each year.

Area shelters have become overburdened with abandoned / homeless animals. Mandy realized she had to take a preventative approach, through education and low cost spay and neuter programs/clinics which can drastically reduce the number of animals that are euthanized each year.

Mandy knew through her experiences in Northwest Arkansas a higher percentage of low income owner’s pets remain unsterilized. She knew without a spay-neuter program targeted for low income pet owners she could not signifi-

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Dr. Leath Harper and Mandy Keenen, founder of NWAAR. cantly reduce the pet population in Northwest Arkansas. NWWAR began working with area vets providing low cost spay-neuter clinics in various locations throughout NWA. Most locations available are in city centers and not in the needy rural/ outlying areas.

Mandy realized that a mobile unit would allow NWAAR to be able to bring the low cost spay and neuter clinics to outlaying/rural areas, as well as the cities/town centers in NWA. In addition, a mobile unit would provide a safe, sanitary environment for the vet and the animals.

NWAAR feels a mobile spay-neuter clinic would allow them to attract more veterinarians enabling them to provide more spay-neuter services while ensuring the health of the animals.

NWAAR has begun a major fund raising effort to obtain a mobile unit to be used in the Northwest Arkansas area.

Recently, Dodgen, a manufacturer of mobile spay-neuter units stopped in Northwest Arkansas while traveling through our area. Northwest Arkansas Animal Rescue members, one of our participating veterinarians, Dr. Harper and the public were able to tour the two state of the art units. The units represented two sizes and illustrated some of the amenities we would be able to purchase with the units.

To find out more about Northwest Arkansas Animal Rescue please check out our website at www.nwa-animalrescue.blogspot.com. We need your help. Donations can be mailed to Northwest Arkansas Animal Rescue at P.O. Box 7532, Springdale, Arkansas 72766. Email is spaynwa@yahoo.com. G

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NWA Pet-Related Organizatons Bella Vista Animal Shelter, 855-6020 petfinder.com/shelters/AR27.html Border Collie Rescue of the Ozarks, 236-5351 bcrozarks.com Centerton Animal Control, 795-0078 petfinder.com/shelters/AR143.html City of Gentry Animal Shelter, 736-8400 members.petfinder.com/~AR194/index.html City of Springdale Animal Services, 750-8166 petfinder.com/shelters/AR91.html Fayetteville Animal Shelter, 444-3456 petfinder.com/shelters/AR47.html For Pets Sake, 927-1809 for-pets-sake.org

petfinder.com/shelters/AR98.html Lost Love Animal Rescue, 283-8563 petfinder.com/shelters/AR177.html Madison County Pet Shelter, 738-1505 petfinder.com/shelters/AR64.html Northwest Arkansas Animal Rescue (NWAAR), 439-7978 nwa-animalrescue.blogspot.com Northwest Arkansas Save Our Strays, 531-2255 petfinder.com/shelters/AR178.html Ozark Mountain Bassett Rescue, 263-3483 ombr.org

Good Shepherd Humane Society, 253-9188 petfinder.com/shelters/AR36.html

Pug Rescue of NWA pugmomma72712@yahoo.com petfinder.com/shelters/AR67.html

Humane Society for Animals, Inc., 636-3703 petfinder.com/shelters/AR50.html

Rogers Animal Shelter, 621-1197 petfinder.com/shelters/AR125.html

Humane Society of the Ozarks, 444-7387 hsozarks.tripod.com

Siloam Springs Animal Services, 524-6535 petfinder.com/shelters/AR111.html

Lone Pine Ranch Animal Shelter lonepineshelter@yahoo.com

Weimaraner Rescue of Arkansas, 530-0330 petfinder.com/shelters/AR199.html

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BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

American K-9 Acade O

utwardly, Nick and Becky Rangel seem like your average young couple. They have two lovely daughters, dogs, and a nice home in NWA. When you meet them, you’re struck by Nick’s quiet, congenial manner, and Becky’s enthusiasm—she’s always smiling! They’re fun and easy to talk to, and love what they do.

A family-run operation, American K-9 Academy is nothing short of amazing. It’s a full service dog training facility, set in a relaxing country atmosphere. And, though Nick and Becky are down-to-earth and some of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet, they run their business with complete professionalism.

While Nick Rangel’s education in formal dog training is certainly impressive, what moved me was seeing his connection to dogs—the calm, controlled manner in which he interacts with them, and the way the dogs communicate with him so effectively.

One can’t fail to see and feel his complete

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immersion in what he does—the almost immediate reaction the dogs have to his manner. It is immediately apparent that Nick loves dogs and enjoys his profession!

If Nick is the hands-on type, Becky is the organizer, the motivator. She communicates well with people, and has a talent for marketing. Together, they run a tight ship, but their casual demeanor is remarkable.

American K-9 Academy offers a wide variety of training - from obedience and house breaking to behavior modification and protection work. Many dog owners simply don’t have the time or patience to successfully train their dogs at home, so Nick does mostly in-kennel training, which is convenient and effective. Still, the training the dogs receive isn’t complete until their owners receive a little training of their own!

Although Nick spends hours each day training dogs at the facility, the owners must visit to learn how to handle their dogs—a crucial part of the training process. Finally, there are

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9 Academy

Photos Courtesy of Four Legs Photography

him to recommend methods of training that will work for each individual pair. a series of private follow-up sesAmerican K-9 sions that continue until the ownAcademy does not ers are confident handling their believe that one dog. style of training The Rangel’s training facility in works for all dogs. It Gravette consists of over 12,000 is important to keep sq. ft. of outdoor fenced training an open mind to yards, an indoor training facility training styles, and and their home. (The rest of our Nick is always deproperty is used for scent tracking, veloping new techSchutzhund, and advanced offniques to match leash training.) clients’ personalities.

Nick Rangel In order to provide the most Before fulfilling successful training results, all dogs that stay their dream of opening American K-9 Acadat American K-9 Academy are crate trained emy, Nick and Becky lived in California. and spend their nights sleeping in the indoor There, Nick divided his time between training facility, which is set up like a house, with a livdogs and working as a Correctional Officer. ing room, kitchen, bathroom, and a nursery.

Nick also provided training and consultaThese areas are used for training dogs how tions, as a volunteer, for “No Place Like to behave in a home environment. The Home”, a non-profit rescue organization that fenced training yards are used for socializafocuses on training dogs in order to keep tion, exercise, agility and basic off-leash them in their homes, in the hope of preventtraining. Socialization and desensitizing are ing a shelter experience. Nick is still passionan important part of what is done. The ate about keeping dogs out of shelters. He Rangel’s use other dogs, their cat and their always tries to educate people about their children (ages 2 and 4) to assist as distracoptions. It’s been the Rangel’s experience tions and for socializing. that once owners have their dogs properly In keeping the facility small, Nick is able to trained, they rarely need to give them up. spend time developing a personal relationIn developing the foundation of American ship with each dog and owner. This enables K-9 Academy, Nick and Becky put a great

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deal of thought into the dogs that end up in animal shelters and how to prevent this.

Nick spoke to countless volunteers and shelter directors regarding the issue. The most consistent reasons owners gave for having to give up their dogs revolved around simple behavioral/training issues. When first brought home, dogs are sometimes treated like new toys - they get plenty of attention in the beginning but, after the novelty wears off, they often start to develop undesired behavior. It is at this point when the owners become overwhelmed and dogs are typically given

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away or end up at a shelter.

If you are thinking about purchasing or adopting a dog, American K-9 Academy can provide assistance in selecting the right dog to fit your family and lifestyle. If you or someone you know has a new dog that has started to display undesirable behavior, or if you can no longer control your dog, call Nick and Becky to schedule a free consultation—they can help! G

AMERICAN K-9 ACADEMY

www.akadog.com 479-AMERICA (263-7422)

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EVENT RECAP Pug Fest Pug Fest is put on each year by the Pug Rescue of Northwest Arkansas. This year, the event took place at J.B. Hunt Park in Springdale.

PUG FEST PHOTOS COURTESY OF PETS ROCK.

PetPalooza PetPalooza was organized and hosted by Northwest Arkansas Young Professionals (NWAYP), and sponsored by Yuppie Puppy, Sporn, and ArkanPaws Magazine. The event took place at Gulley Park in Fayetteville.

PETPALOOZA PHOTOS COURTESY OF PETS ROCK.

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PET HEALTH NEWS

Pet Food Safety As It Should Be

BY LORI C. HINTON

A

s I sit at my laptop in mental preparation for this article, my Shih Tzu begs to join me. Cozily perched on my lap with her chin resting lightly on my chest and her brown eyes star-

ing up at mine, she utters a familiar, faint sigh. This little expression of profound contentment speaks volumes. She feels safe, warm and loved, and in this moment all is well with her world, as it should be.

This moment is a stark deviation, however, from what took place in the aftermath of a March 16, 2007 news release generated from Menu Foods Income Fund. Menu Foods, considered the leading private-label contract manufacturer of wet pet food

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products in North America, produced more than one billion containers in 2006. Little did pet owners such as myself know what was soon to invade their quiet world, virtually built upon blind faith, perhaps changing forever what has always been taken for

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granted in the past . . . pet food safety.

The Menu Foods March news release announced a precautionary recall of a portion of their dog and cat food, manufactured between December 3, 2006 and March 6, 2007. The manufacturer had received feedback in the United States raising concerns over the food’s impact on the renal health of pets consuming the products.

During the tense weeks that followed, FDA officials issued numerous press releases, keeping the public well updated on the progress of their investigation into not just one, but several recalls.

Two weeks after the initial recall, tests had indicated the presence of melamine in one of the raw in-

gredients that had been shipped from China and subsequently used in the production of pet foods manufactured by Menu Foods.

This raw ingredient found tainted with melamine was known as wheat gluten, which is often used as an approved thickening agent in pet food. Other manufacturers had been involved in pet food recalls, hav-

ing also obtained melamine-contaminated wheat gluten from the same source. To exacerbate matters, a second raw ingredient, known as rice protein concentrate, also shipped from China, was found to have traces of melamine resulting in even further pet food recalls. The FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine website at www.fda.gov/cvm gives full account of the subsequent February 6, 2008 Federal Grand Jury indictment brought against those involved for their roles in a scheme to import products purported to be wheat gluten.

If you were confused and more than a little shaken by these recalls, rest assured, you were not alone. I, too, began an extensive online search for answers and discovered articles ranging from quotes simply taken outof-context to truly horrifying ‘hype’, which not only escalated the panic, it seemed to discredit the very sources that were in fact quite truthful. Reading food labels didn’t seem to help either, as only a food chemist could pronounce most of what was on them, much less determine if it was highly nutritional. I soon realized the need for an article that would help the general public understand what had actually happened, and what is being done to make sure that it doesn’t happen again.

Upon reviewing one press release after another, I became puzzled by the consistent reference to ‘nitrogen’ within so many of their conversations. Could this bear any relevance as to why the melamine appeared within a pet food ingredient in the first place, I wondered? It was time to consult with an expert, so I contacted Dr. Dave Syverson, Chair of AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) Pet Food Committee.

Dr. Syverson explained that there were at least four approved tests used to determine the crude protein value of wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate, the two ingredients found to have been ‘tampered with’. These two agricultural products are traded by their protein value. If such a product were low in protein, it would fail to meet the necessary standards and would simply be rejected. He

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further explained that poor milling processes could contribute to a product being substandard. The test they use to determine the crude protein content within the two ingredients does not actually measure the protein content directly, it measures the nitrogen content. It is well known within the food science industry that protein contains a distinct amount of nitrogen. Now I will attempt to tie all of this together. Melamine, although it is not an approved compound for either pet or human consumption, registers a very high count of nitrogen, the very thing a substandard, low-protein shipment of wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate needed to ‘cheat’ the nitrogen test and give a false indication of having an acceptable protein value. Furthermore, the Melamine they discovered in the wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate was impure and had traces of Cyanuric Acid, which also registers very high nitrogen content. The combination of these two elements was found to have

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crystallized within the kidneys of pets, causing renal failure.

Walter D. Osborne, M.S., J.D., Regulatory Policy Analyst & Assistant Editor, “FDA Veterinarian” with the Center for Veterinary Medicine was listed as the contact for an FDA public meeting slated to take place in May of 2008 in Gaithersburg, Maryland. During a conversation with Mr. Osborne, he

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indicated that the public could locate information regarding the recall through their website by using the docket number FDA-2007N0442. He further expressed that this meeting was open to receive comments not only from industry representatives, but individual consumers as well. He has already received a few letters to take into consideration, and welcomes fur-

ther participation by the consumer. Mr. Osborne also gave me a bit of background on the FDA Amendments Act of 2007 also known as FDAAA, signed into law by the President on September 27, 2007. Stated within an article written by Mr. Osborne “In order to further enhance the safety of pet food, the new law directs that within 2 years the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) is to promulgate new regulations to establish ingredient standards and definitions, processing standards, and updated standards for labeling to include nutritional and ingredient information.”

Dr. William Burkholder, DVM, PhD, Center for Veterinary Medicine, Division of Animal Feeds FDA/CVM, expressed a similar enthusiasm for the publics’ participation in May. He indicated that it took “the effort of a great number of people, a large amount of agencies and personnel involved, with improving food safety. This public meeting is simply one more step in what is typically a normal

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BENTONVILLE 479-464-9364

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process in writing regulations when the agency undertakes such work.” He then quite humbly claimed to be “just a small cog on a very big wheel.”

He added “the public is always given an opportunity to comment on regulations, however not necessarily within a venue such as this public meeting.”

Dr. Burkholder further welcomed comments on future proposed regulations stating that “although no set of written language exists for the public to read at this time, that moment will come in the future after the meeting.”

Pet owners have had a true ‘wake up call’. I urge consumers to educate themselves on the various policies and practices being newly implemented in the months and years to come with regard to pet food safety. Let us all move forward into a brighter tomorrow armed with the knowledge that together. . .all can be well in our world. . .as it should be. G

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References and Acknowledgements www.fda.gov www.fda.gov/cvm www.aafco.org www.humananimalbondtrust.org/loss.html www.PNV2.com Walter Osborne M.S., J.D. FDA/CVM walter.osborne@fda.hhs.gov Kurt Gallagher, Director Communications and Export Development, Pet Food Institute kurt@petfoodinstitute.org www.petfoodinstitute.org Susan Cohen DSW, Director of the Human-Animal Bond Program, Animal Medical Center, NYC Susan.cohen@amcny.org Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats, published 2006 The National Academies Press, 1-888-624-8373 Interpreting Pet Food Labels by David A. Dzanis, DVM, Ph.D., DACVN www.fda.gov/cvm/petlabel.htm

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NWA Pet Calendar of Events Saturday, Dec. 6 — 1 to 2 p.m., First Saturdays* at SWSD, Jones Center, Springdale

Wednesday, Feb. 11 — 7 p.m. NWAKC meeting, Petersen Granite, 800 Sanders, Springdale

Wednesday, Dec. 10 — 7 p.m. NWAKC meeting, Petersen Granite, 800 Sanders, Springdale

Saturday, Feb. 14 — 1 to 3 p.m., Second Saturdays** at SWSD, Southwest Service Dogs Training Center, Fort Smith

Saturday, Dec. 13 — 1 to 3 p.m., Second Saturdays** at SWSD, Southwest Service Dogs Training Center, Fort Smith

Thursday, Feb. 19 — 6 p.m., For Pets Sake (FPS) meeting, Pontiac Coffee House, Springdale

Saturday, Jan. 3 — 1 to 2 p.m., First Saturdays* at SWSD, Jones Center, Springdale

*Southwest Service Dogs (SWSD) has scheduled a series of educational demonstrations at the Jones Center in Springdale. Called First Saturdays with Southwest Service Dogs, the demonstrations will begin at 1 p.m. every first Saturday of the month. SWSD is a nonprofit organization that provides highly to trained dogs to people with disabilities at no charge to them. We do this with the help of student trainers agest 9 to 17, through school programs and summer camps. Come join us at the Jones Center to see what our amazing dogs can do. Free. 479 to 646 to 0886 www.southwestservicedogs.org Held at the Jones Center, 922 E. Emma, Springdale, AR.

Saturday, Jan. 10 — 1 to 3 p.m., Second Saturdays** at SWSD, Southwest Service Dogs Training Center, Fort Smith Wednesday, Jan. 14 — 7 p.m. NWAKC meeting, Petersen Granite, 800 Sanders, Springdale Thursday, Jan. 15 – 6 p.m., For Pets Sake (FPS) meeting, Pontiac Coffee House, Springdale Saturday, Feb. 7 — 1 to 2 p.m., First Saturdays* at SWSD, Jones Center, Springdale

**SWSD also has Second Saturdays in Ft. Smith, from 1 to 3 p.m., at the Southwest Service Dogs Training Center, 4500 S. 16th Street, Fort Smith, AR.

To have your event listed free, please send event information to Leslie Ray at arkanpawsmag@hotmail.com.

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Rich, Ribbie and Ryan

My Day as a Dog Model

BY RIBBIE

F

or some time now, I’ve been quietly envious of my sisters, Micha and Bitsy.

Why? Because Micha is the mascot of Angel Pet Sitters, the largest professional pet sitting service in Northwest Arkansas. And, Bitsy has her own column in ArkanPaws Magazine. So, what was I—chopped liver? (Actually, come to think of it, chopped liver sounds pretty special! Yum!) The fact that I’m Dad’s favorite and I get to go hiking with him does set me apart, but I longed for stardom, or, at the very least, my 15 minutes of fame.

This summer, my dream finally came true!

Mom was contacted by a company that was looking for a dog to photograph for the instructions for a new product. She e-mailed them some snapshots of me, and they liked my photos! The next thing I knew, Mom had

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made an appointment for a photo shoot at a local park, and I was on my way to fame and fortune. (Okay, maybe not, but Mom did promise me some treats if I was good!)

We arrived at the park on a lovely, sunny day, and I was introduced to Ryan and Rich.

They work for Yuppie Puppy, a company that makes dog products. I already knew about one of their products, the Sporn harness, which my Mom used on me when I was younger. I used to pull a lot on the leash, but I don’t do that any more…Mom says I’m the best dog there ever was on a leash, because I don’t pull at all now. Sporn makes pretty good products, and I wanted my face to be on their instructions!

Ryan and Rich were very polite. They flattered me and took lots of pictures. They had to put a new kind of lead on me, called an anti-pull collar. I was a little nervous, but with

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Mom standing nearby, I figured everything was cool. The collar was a bit uncomfortable at first, since I’d never had one on before. It has a strap that fit across my snout, but it wasn’t tight—it was just a new sensation that I wasn’t used to. I managed to pose with it, and I was very proud of myself for sitting so still while they took all of those photos. Whew—it was a hot day, and after a while, I got thirsty and we had to stop for a drink. But, it was a fun experience, and I’d do it all over again!

When the photo shoot was over, we had a chance to visit a while and just relax. I re-

ally liked Ryan and Rich— they were pretty nice guys.

They said they thought they’d gotten some good photos and would send some of them to Mom when they got back to their office. When we returned to the car, they had a wonderful surprise for me! It was a box FULL of Sporn collars and leashes in beautiful colors and patterns!

Wow! I’ll bet I have a color for each day of the week now!

I had a fun time being a dog model, and I’m really looking forward to seeing my face on the anti-pull collar instructions!

Wouldn’t that be great? I’m going to ask Mom to buy one, just so that I can show it off to Micha and Bitsy. They’re not such hotshots anymore, now that I’ve been a dog model! G

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BREEDER SPOTLIGHT

English Springer Spaniels

BY SUSAN CAMPBELL

M

y family got our first English Springer Spaniel back in the early eighties.

We added a second Springer two years later and both my sister and I were California to Arkansas. Then in 1994 I had a hooked on dogs for life. We took our dogs to chance to get a male Springer puppy from a obedience classes taught by a local dog litter my sister raised. She still lived in California trainer who showed her dogs. She was very at that time so the puppy was shipped to me helpful and got us into AKC dog events as a and I got back into the dog show game with hobby. him. He was my first well-bred Springer and We purchased those first two dogs from became my first Champion. My sister, Carol “backyard breeders,” so they were not of Getty, is now a veterinarian in Springdale and good enough quality to show in conformaalso breeds and shows Springers. tion. We trained and showed them in obediMy next goal was to acquire a quality founence and junior handling and dation female and eventually learned a lot about dogs in genbreed my own litter of Springers. eral. We went through some After a lot of research I got health and temperament issues Arielle from a show breeder in with those first dogs because Las Vegas. Arielle finished her they were not well bred. I have championship and passed all of never forgotten what it was like her health checks and went on to deal with a hyper, aggressive to produce two lovely litters. dog or a dog with hip dysplasia.

She has six champion children To this day I use those first dogs and, even more importantly, as a lesson in being careful has produced dogs that are about health clearances and healthy and have good temtemperament. Every dog I peraments. Several of these breed has to have OFA certified Susan and Velvet dogs have gone on to produce hips and elbows as well as pass very nice dogs themselves. I am an eye exam done by a veterinary ophthalnow working with my next generation, showmologist. I check thyroid function and test for ing Arielle’s grandchildren and planning for some other inherited diseases as well. I also the future. One of her granddaughters refeel that any dog that is unpleasant to live cently finished her championship and is by far with due to a bad temperament should not the most successful show dog I’ve owned. be bred.

I have found that I also really enjoy agility I took a few years off from dogs while I finand I have focused on that with one of my ished college, got married and moved from dogs. My goal is to breed Springers who can

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succeed in the show ring and also at agility trials. They are a very versatile breed and many do well in numerous different venues.

I have had my share of ups and downs breeding dogs over the years but I am happy with what I have and feel I am producing dogs who improve the breed. I breed Springers because I believe I am creating dogs that people will be happy to have as family companions for many years. Show dogs are generally only shown for a few years, so it is their ability to be good pets for life that really matters.

I have many puppy people who come back to get another dog from me and are willing to wait a long time for my next litter and this means more to me than any show titles. I stand behind my dogs and provide lifetime “tech support” on any behavioral or health questions that may come up. This is the true value of a good breeder, along with getting a dog that will look and act in a predictable, consistent way. G

CHARTWELL ENGLISH SPRINGER SPANIELS

http://quantum.uark.edu/chartwell chartwell@quantum.uark.edu 479-443-7013 Photo Courtesy of Laney Butler

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NWA PET GALLERY Here’s just a few friendly faces that call Northwest Arkansas home. If you would like to have your pet published in ArkanPaws Magazine™, send photos with a brief note giving us permission to feature your pet in our magazine. Digital photos

should be 300 dpi jpegs. Email them to arkanpawsmag@hotmail.com, or mail high quality prints that are at least 4x6 to Pet Gallery, c/o ArkanPaws Magazine, P.O. Box 6601, Springdale, AR 72762.

Photos cannot be returned.

BettyBetty Friends PHOTOS ABOVE AND BELOW COURTESY OF FOUR LEGS PHOTOGRAPHY.

Let’s Go!

Trixie

Bojangles

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What They’re Saying About ArkanPaws ...

ArkanPaws is awesome! I just wanted to say thank you, thank you, thank you for all of the hard work you do putting ArkanPaws together. I just had another customer that found us because of your magazine.

Dollar for dollar it is the best advertising money we have ever spent, and we've tried A LOT of things, including TV, radio and even other magazines.

Thank you for creating a great publication!

— Erin Hague Bigwag Dog Bakery Love the magazine! Thanks for using Pets Rock photos. It's made us crazy busy!

— Jackie Collie Pets Rock Photography

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Dear Bitsy, I am a 16 week old puppy.

My brother Mork and I have a question. Our owner says it is bad to "go" on the carpet but we just well forget sometimes.

(Ok, we forget a lot!) She puts us in a small crate at night and lets us outside in the morning, but we get excited and play out there and forget to go potty. Then, when we get inside we have to go, so we sneak into the boys’ bedroom and go. We overheard our owner saying she was thinking of finding us a new home because she just couldn't get us trained. What can our owner do to help us remember? I don't want to go to a new home. I don't think she wants us to go, either, she loves us. — Minnie the Snorkie Dear Minnie, It sounds like perhaps you need some help remembering when and where to go. If you and Mork don't potty in your crates at night, then that tells me that you CAN hold it and that you know NOT to potty in your crate. So, now you have to learn that the whole house is your crate.

Maybe your Mom is giving you too much freedom. Try moving your crate to a place like a laundry room, bathroom, or kitchen that can be blocked with a gate. Once you begin to understand that this bigger space is the same as your crate, then you can have a little more space, and then more and more, until you can be

trusted in the whole house. In the meantime, it's also important that your Mom go outside with you and reward you and your brother when you go. RIGHT THEN, in the yard, in the grass, not when you come back inside. This might be confusing you. Also, maybe she should take you out on leash until you potty and then reward you by letting you off the leash once you go. If you don't 'go' then you have to come back in the house and go to your crate or room.

You should also be in your crate space anytime your mom can't watch you, and you should try to go outside anytime activity changes (like after dinner, naptime, playtime, etc) and anytime you are awake you should maybe go outside at least once an hour. Last but not least, if you don't have a way to tell your mom you need to go, then have her tie some bells to the door so you can learn to ring them when you need to go outside. Good luck!

I'd like to thank my friend Denise Holmes, of Ain't Misbehavin', for helping me with this one!

It's been so long since I had potty training, that I needed a refresher! Denise is a dog trainer here in NWA, so I knew she'd be able to help me answer your question.

Send your letters or e-mails to Ask Bitsy, c/o ArkanPaws Magazine, P.O. Box 6601, Springdale, AR 72766 or arkanpawsmag@hotmail.com.

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Hand made fabric dog collars in a variety of colorful prints! Comfortable and machine washable! Great assortment of art prints by the artist Linda Picken!

Visit our website to see and purchase: http://for-pets-sake.org/cart.php

Check our directory for shelters, rescues, and animal welfare organizations offering adoptable pets!

“We give dogs time we can spare, space we can spare and love we can spare. And in return, dogs give us their all. It's the best deal man has ever made.” — M. Acklam

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ArkanPaws • Winter 2008

Reach Over

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Business Directory Advertiser

Page

Artists & Photographers Debbie Calhoun Freelance Graphic Designer www.2deb.com ......................................27 Cho Blu Studios 479.283.0063 www.chobluestudios.com ...................................19

Page

Pet Services American K•9 Academy 479-AMERICA (263-7422) www.akadog.com...................................11 Angel Pet Sitters 479.750.7171 www.angelpetsitters.com....................BC

Four Legs Photography www.fourlegsphotography.com ......................................................................7

Camp Bow Wow Doggie Day and Overnight Camp 479.268.4120 www.campbowwow.com ......................3

Linda Picken Art Studio 479.273.9217 www.lindapicken.com ..........NA

Canine Connection 479.444.0300 www.canineconnection.info ...........19

Linda Undernehr Illustration, Design & Pet Portraits 479.936.6275 or 479.751.6269 www.ulillustration.com ...........................................5

Non-Profits For Pets Sake 479.927.1809 www.for-pets-sake.org.....................20 Northwest Arkansas Animal Rescue 479.439.7978 mandykeenen@cox.net .....................................IFC

Other Services Crown Air Charter Pet friendly air charter 479.750.9191 .............................................14 Custom Maid Housekeeping 479.225.6388 custommaid@live.com.......................7 EntreManure™ K-9 Waste Removal 479.381.POOP (7667) www.poopfreelawns.com...................NA Poopsy Daisy Professional Dog Waste Management 479.601.6801 www.poopsydaisy.com .......................................27

Pet Products Big Wag Gourmet Dog Bakery 479.631.2924 www.bigwag.com.............IBC Tyson Pet Products Group 800.643.3410 www.tyson.com............................IBC

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Advertiser

ArkanPaws • Winter 2008

Critter Sitter 479.466.7068 www.crittersitter4u.net .........................................20 Dog Gone Cute Grooming jddoggonecutegrooming@yahoo.com 479.872.2547................................................18 Dog Party USA 479.306-4660 www.dogpartyusa.com .........................20 Dog Watch Day Care & Boarding Fayetteville 479.582-3647, Bentonville 464-9364 www.dogwatchonline.com ................................19 Doggie Heaven Daycare & Boarding 479.721.RUFF (7833) www.doggie-heaven.com..................................18 Faithful Friends Dog Trainers Judy 479.443.9951, Vickie 479.925.3536 ...................................20 Pink Poodle Grooming Salon 479.238.9100 pinkpoodlesalon@hotmail.com ........27 Speckled Pup Center Professional Grooming & Boarding 479.524.8141 .............................................18

Veterinary All Pets Animal Hospital 479.273.9299 www.allpets.vetsuite.com .........................3

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