Lowcountry Dog Magazine- Aug Sept 2017 by Lowcountry Dog Magazine

Issue No. 12 • AUG/SEPT 2017 • DIGITAL

black dog syndrome. FACT OR FICTION?

From Shelter life to Service life

The Magnolia Plantation & Lowcountry Dog ADOPTION PROMOTION

Lowcountry Giving Day has gone to the dogs...

Meet the Pack PUBLISHER Brian Foster brian@lowcountrydog.com CHIEF CANINE OFFICER Peanut EDITORIAL COLUMNIST Alicia Williams alicia@lowcountrydog.com SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Jessica Harrell jessica@lowcountrydog.com STAFF WRITERS Julie Murray Kelly Glasson PHOTOGRAPHER Southern Vintage Design and Photography

We believe that our dogs are our best friends, and that’s why we need a reliable source to turn to for information on all things “dog” in our community. Our mission is to be the number one Charleston area resource for dog owners regarding regional dog-centric and dogwelcoming events, health & wellness information, dog training, trends, and local news. We also strive to be a mouthpiece to the public for various Lowcountry-based pet nonprofits, and we promote pet adoption and other responsible pet care practices. Founded in Charleston, South Carolina in 2005 as a print magazine, we re-launched in 2015 as an online publication. In 2016 we have updated our website to continue our mission to be the best dog friendly resource in the Lowcountry.

RESCUE SPOTLIGHT PRODUCER Palmetto Coast Media WEB DEVELOPER & CONSULTANT Laura Olsen CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Andrew Garf Annette Lee

Sniff Us out!

CONTENTS COVER STORY

18 BLACK DOG

SYNDROME: FACT OR FICTION?

FEATURES PEANUT TIPS- BUTT SNIFFING 411

SIT, STAY, BEHAVE- CANINE GOOD CITIZEN

HEALTH AND WELLNESSSHEDDING GOT YOU DOWN?

PEACE, LOVE & REAL TALK

FROM SHELTER LIFE TO RESCUE LIFE

FROM SHELTER LIFE TO 32 LOWCOUNTRY GIVING DAY SERVICE LIFE. HAS GONE TO THE DOGS.

RESCUE SPOTLIGHT REVIEW

GO GREEN: ADOPTABLE DOGS

Page 28

LOWCOUNTRY GIVING DAY HAS GONE TO THE DOGS... Page 32

Charleston's Digital Dog Magazine

What's with the butt-sniffing?

's t u n Pea s Tip

As a mere human, you're probably baffled by what could possibly be so interesting about the smell of dog butt. Factor in the idea that some dogs have a sense of smell that's up to 100,000 times stronger thanÂ yours, and seriously, what's with the butt-sniffing?

We are getting a whiff of each others' anal sacs. Chemical secretions from the sacs contain lots of information (right down to diet and current emotional state), as poorly designed as the whole thing might seem.

Right. So what about the elephant-farts in the room? Wouldn't other backside smells override any sort of chemical a dog's giving off? The chemical compounds are only half the communication network; dogs have a super-sensitive receptor in their noses called the Jacobson's organ. This receptor is tuned to the particular acids secreted by the anal glands and tunes out poop and fart smells. That's the same organ used when dogs sniff around the popular pee tree at the dog park.

Does that make you feel a little better? Your dog doesn't have a weird fetish after all, just an odd way of shaking hands. And before you get all judgmental about Pupper's funk, don't forget that humans have the same sort of glands that dogs do. Ours are mostly in our armpits and groin, which is why some dogs are dedicated crotch-sniffers.

SOURCE:Â GRUNGE.COM

lowcountry dog Â 4

Sit, Stay...Behave! DOES YOUR DOG HAVE WHAT IT TAKES? BY ANNETTE LEE CHARLESTON DOG TRAINING CLUB

When our puppies reach the age of a year and have down their basic commands, some of us start to wonder how we could further their training. Sometimes owners are interested in agility, advanced obedience or therapy work. Canine Good Citizen is a great place to start to continue a dogs training so that they are polite and have good manners in our communities and homes. When training continues with our dogs, we keep them mentally alert and living longer as well as growing our leadership role with them. Written by Danielle Dolce, Master Trainer at Strong Mind K9 lowcountry dog Â 6

The Canine Good Citizen National testing program was set up by the AKC to test dogs and their owners on their responsibility and good manners. CGC consists of 10 individual tests: 1. Accepting a friendly stranger 2. Sitting politely for petting 3. Appearance and grooming 4. Walking on a loose leash 5. Walking through a crowd 6. Sit and down on command while staying in place 7. Coming when called 8. Reaction to another dog 9. Reacting to a distraction( or not reacting) 10. Supervised separation Most of the above occurrences are faced by a dog and their owner in their everyday life. A polite dog should exhibit the appropriate behavior for each of these moments. There is no doubt that CGC is the right direction to take toward a building block for more advanced training and a good relationship with your dog. Any time spent training builds a well balanced dog through providing respect and trust. Charleston Dog Training Club provides all levels training. As a club we like to start a puppy in our Basics class and then move on to STAR Puppy. When a puppy or dog has conquered these levels he will be well prepared to move on to a Beginner Novice or CGC class. All dogs mixed or purebred are welcome to participate. Remember, there is nothing like those seconds you and your dog connect, and we humans speak dog.

Health

Wellness

SHEDDING got

you

down?

Excessive dog shedding can become a major headache. How many hours do you spend to clean clumps of dog hair stuck to your clothing? While you can't stop dog shedding altogether, there are many simple, natural methods to help minimize excessive shedding in your home. 1. Keep Your Dog Hydrated: It might seem like a trivial thing, but a lack of fresh, clean water can lead to some serious complications for pets. Signs of dehydration include a dry mouth, panting, sunken eyes, dry mouth, lethargy, loss of appetite, depression and excessive dog shedding. Give your dog Pedialyte when you notice one of the previously mentioned dehydration's signs. Formulated for babies, this solution is a great first aid against dehydration and can quickly replace minerals like potassium and sodium. written by Andrew Garf lowcountry dog 8

2. Add a Health Oil to Your Dog's Diet: Coconut Oil: Coconut oil is one of few foods that can be categorized as a "superfood." Coconut oil has a plethora of benefits that are beneficial both to humans and pets. Coconut oil can help aid your pets' digestion, help flea allergies, reduce allergic reactions, improve and create sleek, glossy coats, prevent infection and much more. Now the question is how much coconut oil you should give to your dog? When starting your dog on coconut oil, it is important to start slowly in the beginning. Give 1/4 teaspoon per day for small dogs and for large dogs you can give 1 teaspoon per day. As the dogs' body has adjusted, you can increase the intake to about 1 teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight daily. Flaxseed Oil: Flaxseed oil is an excellent natural treatment to improve the coat and skin conditions of some pets. Add a small amount of flaxseed oil to your dog's diet, and after a few weeks, you should see the change in your dog's shed. Fish Oil: Fish oil contains EPA and DHA and omega-3 fatty acids that can help to treat many health problems in dogs. Veterinarians use fish oil to treat dog allergies and a wide variety of conditions ranging from kidney disease to arthritis. Fish oil can also help reduce excessive shedding by relieving itching due to an allergy-related skin condition. How much fish oil you should give to your dog? As a general rule, you should give 1,000 mg per 30 pounds of body weight. As for combatting more serious health problems, you can up the dosage to a maximum 1,000 mg per 10 pounds of body weight.

3. Brush Your Dog Regular brushing is still one of the best options to keep the amount of hair your dog sheds to a minimum as brushing helps remove loose fur before it has a chance to rub off and stick to your furniture. Before you brush your dog, it is important to pick the right brush first. There are different types of dog brushes that you can find at your local pet store or online, each with its own function designed to serve different dog's type and needs. For example, a bristle brush works best for short-haired dogs, a pin brush works best for a dog with long, wavy fur. 4. Bathe Often Frequent bathing is a great way to get rid of excess hair. As a general rule, you should bathe your dog twice a month with shampoo and conditioner. To reduce shedding, I would recommend using an oatmeal shampoo. This shampoo will help clean your dog's coat without drying the skin and rejuvenate a lackluster haircoat. If your dog's fur tends to mat, follow up the bath with detangler. Be sure to brush your dog thoroughly before the bath to remove as much hair as you can. After bathing, towel dry your dog and blow-dry his coat with the lowest heat setting. As you dry your dog's coat, you can use a brush to help remove loose hair. Keep brushing and drying until your dog is no longer damp. After you have finished drying, brush your dog thoroughly once again. A lot more hair will come out at this stage. 5. Prevent Infestation of Fleas Fleas, ticks, and mites can seriously impact your dog's health with symptoms that can manifest themselves in forms of bald or thinning spots, rashes, and open sores... the symptoms that ultimately lead to excessive dog shedding. If you've noticed your dog suffering from any of these things, you can try these fleas home remedies: herbal flea spray, baking soda, dish soap, lemon spray, rosemary, and flea repelling plants (lavender, Penny Royal, and spearmint).

Rescue operators are tired. Shelter staffs are tired. Event workers are tired. Transporters are tired. Fosters are tired. Donors are tired. Social

! y p e le h c s

media “cross-posters” are tired. I’m tired…and if you’re in the animal rescue community, you’re probably tired too. The season of puppies and kitties has hit us all hard, and unfortunately there is no end in sight. The other day I went to a home décor store and saw some picture with some cliché motivational quote on it – and I literally wanted to break the picture in half and throw it in the garbage can. Seriously?! Who wants a “You can do it all!” picture hanging in their home?! Who needs that kind of negativity in their life?!

lowcountry dog 14

Is one person truly supposed to,

“do it all?” I think not. Every time someone in the world of rescue is finally complete in successfully saving an animal, we are needed again. Sometimes when we think things couldn’t get worse, they do. When we think we couldn’t be more broke, we receive another bill. When we think an animal is finally healthy, we step in their vomit. We feel guilty for saying “no” or for having plans outside of our “passion.”

I personally am waiting for the day

It is okay that we are tired. It is okay

where there is a rescue event and

that on somedays we think about

all the rescuers just sit around and

giving up. It is okay that sometimes,

cry because we’re just so

just sometimes, we make an

exhausted.

extremely dark/inappropriate joke

After a while, we begin to see more

to make ourselves feel better in

of the bad in the world than the

some twisted way. It is okay.

good. We forget why we started the

To everyone who is currently feeling

great fight in the first place. We

victim to burn-out in any area of

start replacing the memories of the

your life: please stop and take care

animals we did save with the ones

of yourself. You’re not a failure for

that still need our help, or got left

giving yourself a break, you’re

behind. We start to feel worthless.

human. Take a time out and

Needless to say, compassion

remember your victories, no matter

fatigue hits our industry pretty hard.

how small. Be proud of yourself.

There are somedays where the

Treat yourself. When you feel like

agenda is made up of: sleeping,

you’re ready to start again, start

eating ice cream out of the carton,

again slowly.

Xanax, and avoiding everything and anything that has to do with rescue. Obviously, this isn’t the healthiest of ways to cope; but you know what? It’s okay.

No matter what happens, never forget that you do make a difference.

About the Cover "BLACK DOG SYNDROME" Our cover dog is Stout, our 2017 Cover Contest Winner. He poses with the other finalists Annie and Rika at Magnolia Plantation. Stout won our contest by 1 vote over Annie and became our first ever black dog winner. In fact, the top 3 dogs were all black, inspiring us to write the story about Black Dog Syndrome. We hope you enjoy some beautiful pictures and an interesting tale of prejudice against black dogs.

Featuring our 2017 Cover Contest Finalists!

black dog syndrome. FACT OR FICTION?

lowcountry dog 18

Written by Kelly Glasson Photography by Southern Vintage Design & Photography

2017 was full of firsts for our annual cover contest. First the winner, Stout won by one vote and second, it was the first time a black dog had ever won. In fact, the top three finalists were all black dogs which inspired the idea of doing a story on Black Dog Syndrome!

From R to L: Â Annie, Stout and Rika.Â

Black Dog Syndrome is a controversial theory that bigger, black dogs are often overlooked for adoption because of the belief that people prefer light colored dogs to darker colored dogs. Because of this, black dogs are believed to be euthanized at a higher rate. There have been many studies trying to decide if this theory is a fact or if it is just fiction. We did our research, and here are a few of the facts and myths of Black Dog Syndrome.

Some of the beliefs for the reasons behind Black Dog Syndrome are that black dogs are not as easy to see when you are looking into a cage or at a photo therefore people cannot see their distinguished features. There are also suggestions that black dogs look older than lighter colored dogs do, making them less desirable to the general public. Some even claim superstition can play its part when adopters determine not to choose a black dog. Most of these reasons however are not based in fact but mostly anecdotal stories. Christy L. Hoffman, a PhD and Professor of Animal Behavior at Canisius College conducted a study in 2016 trying to figure out if BDS is really a factor in adoptions. She investigated the role of color, age, sex and breed on the outcomes for the adoptions of dogs in two animal shelters in the United States over the span of four years of adoption records (nearly 16,700 dogs). This study proved black dog syndrome is a myth, and the data actually showed that black dogs had a shorter time span spent in the shelter than dogs of other colors. Her study determined that when it comes to adoptability, age and breed are much more important than color. She found bully breeds (American pit bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers or Staffordshire bull terriers) faced a much longer stay in the shelters than big black dogs. Hoffman suggested that shelters that aim to promote the adoptions of black dogs could benefit by instead focusing their efforts on the breeds of dogs that do not get adopted out quite so easily. It all breaks down to the number of dogs taken in. In the ASPCAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;A Comprehensive Animal Risk Databaseâ&#x20AC;? which pulled data from 14 communities of nearly 30,000 dogs, the results found that while black animals had one of the highest percentages of euthanasia in shelters, they also had the highest adoption rate of any colored animal.

Black dogs had the highest percentage of intakes to shelters, meaning the likelihood of there being more black dogs in a shelter than other colored dogs is pretty high, however it does not mean that they are being overlooked based upon their color. ASPCA Vice President of Shelter Research Dr. Emily Weiss discussed the persistence of the myth despite all of the research to dispute it. She believes that because there are simply more black dogs, shelter workers believe in this syndrome and have become bias towards it.

Stout, our cover dog, is your typical shelter pittie mix but he is far from "typical"! He was the perfect model with beautuful Magnolia Plantation & Gardens as the backdrop

Annie the one yo black lab lost by one vote to Stout in our Annual Cover Contest, Annie is far from a loser, she is well trained and loves the water. While black labs are the most common color we see in labs they are often overlooked to the highly desired chocolate labs and even yellow labs.

Rika, a one year old German Shepherd Dog, came in third place in our Annual Cover Contest. Her owners say they came to get Rika when the person who was supposed to get her decided they did not want her because Rikadog wasÂ 28black. lowcountry

“They might see that black dogs are staying around longer, but that might just be because there are more black dogs in the shelter. I think some beliefs are hard to change, especially if someone has anecdotal evidence that there have been one or two black dogs that take longer to adopt.” While these studies show that people still do adopt black dogs, it is common that people look for a dog that stands out amongst the rest. This is why experts recommend separating dogs that are similar looking so that they aren’t lumped together and don’t seem common to adopters. Whether you believe in Black Dog Syndrome or not, one thing we can all agree on is no matter the color, breed, size, or age of a dog, they all deserve loving homes.

from shelter life to service life SERVICE DOG MAGGIE

“Admitting you need help” is the beginning step to multiple types of recovery, whether it be mental or physical. For Andrew Bowden, this was his first step towards getting a service dog. After various recommendations from many doctors, Andrew and his family took a trip to Saint Francis Humane Society in Georgetown to begin the process. When looking at a family of labs, Andrew chose Maggie, a black lab, due to her calm and reserved nature. Written by Jessica Harrell

lowcountry dog 30

After adopting Maggie, Andrew wanted to immediately get her trained to become the perfect service dog. He hired Rocky Road K9 out of Conway in order to assist in this process. After her training, “We have been attached at the hip ever since,” Andrew stated, quite literally and metaphorically. Rocky Road K9 even still assists Andrew to this day if he needs to work on more training with Maggie.

Through Maggie’s intense training, she has become quite the versatile service dog. Not only does she help with mental issues such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression, she also helps with seizures. When Maggie alerts Andrew for any of these problems, he is able to find a place to recover before anything becomes too uncontrollable. Andrew’s wife even went so far as to say that Maggie “saves his life everyday.”

Having a service dog sounds like the ideal situation to most; everyone would love to be able to take their dog everywhere they go. However, according to Andrew life hasn’t always been so easy with Maggie. He attributes this partly to Black Dog Syndrome, or the idea that darker dogs are more feared and therefore less likely to get adopted. Since dogs are so protective of their owners, Andrew believes that many, including other dogs, fear Maggie and assume she will be aggressive because of the color of her fur. For example, Andrew told me, “we’ve had people not want to ride the elevators with us out of fear. I attribute these responses to the quiet shadow standing next to me with her dark eyes.”

Even Andrew himself was initially more drawn to Maggie’s yellow lab sister at Saint Francis Humane Society. However, when looking back on this Andrew cannot believe he looked past Maggie when they first met. “The reality is I couldn’t have found a dog sweeter than Maggie,” he stated and couldn’t wish for a better service dog. He ended our conversation with this advice: “Always remember to never distract a service dog because they are working and their handler could end up hurt if the dog misses an alert.” FOLLOW MAGGIE ON INSTAGRAM AT @service_dog_maggie

lowcountry dog 32

What says home more than a joyous pup bounding over to you the moment you open the door? Our resident dog, Mr. Tupelo Honey, shepherds our sanity with kisses, snuggles, and a spirit of play. We share an immense love for man’s best friends and their ability to lift our spirits even after an incredibly stressful work day. This is nothing new to all of you; we all love our fur babies and think they "hung the moon." We honor and love them individually. But there are a slew of organizations who work tirelessly to create opportunities for forever homes, dignified treatment, and education for our community to ensure our 4-legged doggie pals keep thriving. In the spirit of honoring these organizations, we are excited and honored to celebrate the work of over 130 nonprofit organizations including various pet rescues in the community at the Lowcountry Giving Day celebration on Tuesday, September 19th at the Joe Riley Stadium. Traditionally, Lowcountry Giving Day serviced online giving only but this year’s physical event provides a unique opportunity for community members (with their kids and pets!) to enjoy a full day of live music and comedy, sign up for volunteer service hours, engage with hundreds of local non-profits, celebrate the good work being done in the tricounty area and support financially their favorite puppy organizations.

"Dorchester County houses over 150,000 residents and still to this day is majority rural or very rural. Frances R. Willis SPCA is the only open admission shelter in the County. Serving the underserved is a high priority for us. Going from victim to victory is an overwhelming task, but our mission stays strong to provide a second chance to every animal in Dorchester County." Kim Almstedt, Executive Director, FRWSPCA. “LGD has always been a wonderful day for each individual organization to work hard together with their supporters, donors, volunteers, and staff, but having the added all day event at The Joe giving all non profits involved the chance to connect together is such an amazing and inspiring way to fully support everything we ALL work so hard for.” -Julia Luzon, Pethelpers. “Volunteering is so important. Get involved. Use your passion to find ways to support something you love. The service opportunities available are only limited by your imagination and willingness to commit your time and effort. Reach out to a group and figure out how you can help.” -Gail Golighty, Lowcountry Lab Rescue The theme of Lowcountry Giving Day 2017 is GENEROSITY - generosity of time, spirit, and engagement, as well as financial contributions. You may have noticed the following symbol around town on stickers, or small pieces of art, or seen one of three sculptures on display around the tri-country area. It is our hope these sculptures remind you to give, and to participate, and to celebrate the good in our community.

Alicia Williams of Eunoia Rescue encourage locals “to visit the statues (with their animals), take a photo, and share these to inspire others (as well as themselves) to give back to the community.”

We encourage you to take a picture. Share on FB and instagram. Tag @itstartswithone @lowcountrygivingday, and #itstartswithone #lgd17 #collectiveforcecharityconnection, as well as your favorite pet nonprofit. Raise the awareness level. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s get people supporting our pups!!! In the spirit of generosity we also encourage and invite you to attend Lowcountry Giving Day on Tuesday, September 19th. Our goal is to have 10,000 people support our furry friends. This means we need you to show up, even if it is with $1. This festival will be an incredible opportunity to support pets by showing up with cash or a check or by simply signing up for volunteer opportunities at various animal organizations. You can even sign up to volunteer for the day of the event on our website! www.collectiveforcefoundation.org/lowcountry-giving-day Join us in celebrating our amazing, loving, local nonprofits and help us make an impact on the greater community! For more information on how you can be involved, contact rebecca@collectiveforcefoundation.org Current partners for this event include: Collective Force Foundation, Charleston Riverdogs, ABC Channel 4, South State Bank, Gotcha Group, PSG LTD, GIGDAWG, BIDR & Lowcountry Dog Magazine.

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