December 2016 Downeast Dog News by Jennifer Rich / Wendi Smith

Hot Dog News Help Maine Lost Dog Recovery buy Humane Traps & Trail Cameras

aine Lost Dog Recovery has a need for more humane traps and cameras to capture lost dogs. Trail cameras are used to monitor the traps. O en there are several traps and cameras set in diﬀerent loca ons, and with a state this large we need more traps out in the ﬁeld where they are more readily available to ACO's, shelter's, families of lost dogs and our volunteers. The traps we use are

highly eﬃcient, however very expensive, cos ng upward to $600 for the trap and shipping cost.. Our wireless cameras with ba eries are about $400 each. In addi on to this cost we must pay a monthly fee for the wireless service. Won't you please help us by dona ng towards this much needed equipment? Thank you all for your help in bringing these dogs home safely.

You can donate through youcaring.com/ mainelostdogs-690723, on our Facebook page -click on PLEASE DONATE (Pay Pal) or mail a check to: (please note TRAP on check) Maine Lost Dog Recovery, P.O. Box 55, Brunswick, ME 04011. You Caring fundraiser will end Dec. 18th.

Green Acres Announces 9th Annual Fundraiser for the Eastern Area Agency on Aging Furry Friends Food Bank

reen Acres Kennel Shop is holding its 9th annual fundraiser for the Eastern Area Agency on Aging Furry Friends Food Bank from Sunday, November 20th through Monday, December 26th. The Furry Friends Food Bank helps low-income seniors and adults with disabili es in Penobscot, Piscataquis, Hancock, and Washington coun es feed their pets. Customers will be asked for a dona on when making purchases and dona ons will also be accepted by mail and online. All funds raised will be used to buy pet food, at wholesale prices, for distribu on by the Eastern

Area Agency on Aging Furry Friends Food Bank. Once the community donates $5500, Green Acres will donate an addi onal $2000. Due to the generosity of their clients and many others in the community, last year Green Acres’ raised a total of $7373; this year’s goal is $7500. People can learn more or donate online through the Green Acres website at www. greenacres-donate.com. Green Acres Kennel Shop owner Don Hanson states: “This fundraiser helps keep seniors and their pets together. In many cases, these pets are the only living thing that a senior

interacts with on a daily basis. They are their best friend. By dona ng to this cause, you prevent that senior from having to choose between feeding themselves or their pet. When your pet is all you have, foregoing ea ng, not reﬁlling a prescrip on, or turning the heat down very low, are some of the sacriﬁces that you may make to keep your best friend with you. Please help.” People may follow the ac vi es of the fundraising drive on the FaceBook page for the Friends of EAAA Furry Friends Food Bank at (h ps://www. facebook.com/GAKS.FFFFB).

Dog Licensing

on’t forget to license your dog. All license renewals are due by January 31, 2017. If you are licensing a wolf hybrid, service/ search or rescue dog or obtaining a kennel license please contact your municipal oﬃce. Some towns allow you to renew or obtain a new license online. Go to maine.gov/dogs to see the list of towns. Your dog licensing fees support: • Local Animal Control Oﬃcers and State Humane Agents • Inves ga on of animal cruelty complaints and enforcement of animal welfare laws • Compliance with rabies vaccina on of dogs • Care for sick and injured stray animals • Return of lost dogs to their owners

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Downeast Dog News

Downeast Dog News PUBLISHER Jenn Rich COPY EDITOR Belinda Carter CONTRIBUTORS Susan Spisak Diana Logan Sara Moore Judith Herman Carolyn Fuhrer Don Hanson Nancy Holmes GRAPHIC DESIGN Courier Publications, LLC ADVERTISING Jenn Rich 207-230-0260 ext. 6 jenn@downeastdognews.com

PRESIDENT Wendi Smith PARENT & PUBLISHING COMPANY Maine Pet News LLC

From the Publisher Happy Holidays Everyone! Whatever you may celebrate this me of year, Pepper and I wish you the very best. Another year is ending, and a new one has yet to begin. This is a good me to reﬂect and be thankful for what we have and for those who are special in our lives, two-legged and four-legged. I am very grateful for my wonderful family and friends and especially for Miss Pepper. She is such a great companion and brings me much joy! Thank you to all of our adver sers who make it possible for us to make this paper available to everyone each month and at no cost to our readers! I also want to thank the folks that contribute to our paper monthly from the writers, to the editor, our new design team at the Courier and our printer, Alliance Press. This is also a good me to think of those who might be less fortunate or have stumbled upon hard mes. We are entering the coldest season of the year with increased expenses such as hea ng bills, so it seemed a good me to recognize and highlight some of the pet pantries that are available throughout the state. If you or someone you know are having a hard me making ends meet and need some help feeding your pets, please check out the list. Also if you have a pantry that is not listed and would like to be added for future posts, please feel free to call or email me with your informa on, 230-0260x6 or jenn@downeastdognews.com. And, of course, let’s not forget the shelters and rescues. They always need our support. It warmed my heart to have someone from one of our local shelters thank me for featuring their dogs in our paper. I was told that people come in either looking for the dog they saw in the paper or at least recognizing them which is great and what we hope for by lis ng them. We will con nue to help raise money for these folks through our adop on sponsorships and various promo ons. Please contact me if you would like to sponsor an adoptable dog. Stay warm and safe! Warmest wishes, Jenn & Pepper

OUR GOALS • Provide the latest in dog-related news and information. • Encourage and support dog-friendly businesses and Maine-made pet products and services. • Cultivate a community of responsible dog guardianship/ownership. • Support animal welfare causes.

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Table of Contents Hot Dog News ...................... 2 Furry Words ......................... 4 Ask the Vet ............................ 4 Basic Training Tips ................ 6 Ask Bammy ........................... 7 Happy Howl-idays! .............. 8-9 Performance Dog Training ....10 Words, Woofs & Meows ..... 11 Rescue of the Month ............12 Dogs for Adoption ............... 13 Calendar of Events .............. 14 Business Directory .............. 15

SPEAK! Downeast Dog News welcomes submissions of local news, events and photos. Email: jenn@downeastdognews.com COPYRIGHT 2006-2016 All contents of Downeast Dog News are protected under United States copyright law. The contents may not be reprinted or reproduced without the expressed written permission of the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within Downeast Dog News are those of its contributors and not necessarily those of the publisher. Content of ads is the sole responsibility of the advertiser. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the content and Downeast Dog News assumes no liability for any errors, omissions or claims made by its contributors or advertisers.

December 2016

"In my next life, I’m coming back as a dog.” How many of you are nodding in agreement with this statement? I’m sure most of you! I’ve been introduced to show dogs, working dogs, rescued dogs, and more breeds than I knew existed before I became an animal communicator. Most of them live better than most people I know, and I would trade places with them, too! I would be more than happy to eat homemade organic food or even cheap kibble out of a bag if it meant I didn’t have to shop for it, buy it, prepare it, and clean up afterwards! Dogs really are living the dream! Let’s talk about why we want to be our dogs. One reason is because their job is to love us. Yes, some pull carts, go to shows, and actually do work, but we have them because they make us feel loved. Even those dogs who drive us nuts at some point, wiggle into our hearts and open it a little more. The cool part is the dogs just soak up all the love they are given and don’t have super high expectations for us. They are grateful for everything we do for them and show their enthusiasm each and every time. Sure, maybe you make them sit or give them a paw before you reward them, but they do it happily, and everyone has a feel good moment. Maybe you want to be your dogs because they get better care than you give yourself. Well, I do want to say if that’s the case, take a lesson from them and work to change that. When you’re on an airplane, they show you how to put your own oxygen mask on first and then help people around

What to watch out for at the holiday table Q. The holidays are coming

Furry Words by Sara Moore www.enlightenedhorizons.com

you. The same rules apply. I can assure you your dogs want you to feel just as valued as they do. It’s strange to me that there is a culture that suffering somehow proves strength or worthiness. If that just rang a bell with you, listen up. Your dogs are here to teach you that their needs, which often mirror your needs, are just as important as everyone else’s. You have the right to speak up and ask for them to be met! I bet if dogs had thumbs and credit cards, they’d gladly go to the store and cook you up some organic sweet potato with rice and free range hamburger. If your dogs are using better hair products than you treat yourself to, next time live the dream. I smile as I write that, because it sounds so silly, but you really can live a life as good as your dogs if you believe you’re worth it.

Ask the Vet… by Dr. Judith Herman

and I will be entertaining a lot. What should I watch out for to keep my dog safe?

Love holiday food! All the decadent treats we wait for all year spread out all over the house. Yummy! Yet some of these treats can be lethal to your dog. Here is a list of common treats to keep out of Bozo’s reach during the holidays. Number one is to read labels! Xylitol is now in everything from energy bars to peanut butter. Anything coming in a jar or wrapper should be considered suspect until you read the label. Xylitol can lead to low blood sugar and liver failure. Macadamia nuts can cause a tummy ache, pancreatitis, and neurologic symptoms if Bozo eats too many. Your dog will become temporarily paralyzed. Treatment

is supportive until the symptoms resolve. Chocolate is wonderful but is toxic if too much is eaten. The darker the chocolate the less your dog needs to ingest to become sick. Chocolate deserts and candy have a lot of fat and other ingredients that cause pancreatitis, heart arrhythmias, and other problems.

Your dogs have no worries and no responsibilities, so they have it all. Right? Let me ask you this. If you got the chance to go to Boston and watch a concert or a Red Sox game, I’m betting most of you would take your own car instead of the train or bus. Why? Because we LIKE having control! This isn’t a bad thing at all, but I want to point out that you can take a step closer to your dogs’lives while still enjoying this one. What do you feel the need to be in charge of that could be delegated? I can think of a few ways I could make changes right now. My son Zachary is now 11 and s ll expects me to make his bagel in the morning. It’s been the rou ne for as long as I can remember, but it adds more to an already full plate for me, and I’m going to ask him to step it up. I also hate having to track my ﬁnances, so I could hire someone to do that for me, or I can hold onto it and make it a bigger burden than it needs to be. One step closer to being as free as a dog! I think the biggest reason we want to be our dogs is that they don’t have a care in the world beyond food, walks, and snuggles. It makes my heart so happy to imagine how liberating that must be! I am a firm believer that we can set intentions and that we can manifest change. Instead of hating some aspect of your life, shed some light on it and find a way to shift it. We need to work to pay

bills. I get that, but have you ever considered that you could get paid to do something you love? Why not? If you loved your career, then it would just as fulfilling as going for a long walk on a beautiful day with your happy pooch. Again, another way to become doglike in some of your endeavors. So what is your dog really teaching you? Love. Loyalty. Joy. Peace. Fulfillment. Simplicity. Silliness. Completion. Exuberance and so much more! I do believe if you want to come back as a dog in your next life, it’s entirely possible. That being said I also know that you can mindfully work towards feeling the emotions that you’re seeking while walking upright on your two human feet. The dogs teach us so much about ourselves and how we face the world. They give love simply because it feels divine to do so and never fear rejection worry if they’re worthy of being loved. That’s HUGE! Take a page from the dog handbook and start wagging more and stressing less. Try it and see what happens! Sara Moore of Enlightened Horizons has an office in North Conway, NH and is available for phone and Skype readings as well. FMI go to www. enlightenedhorizons.com , text or call (603)662-2046 and her email is enlightenedhorizons@gmail.com. She is also available for private parties and fundraisers.

Baker’s chocolate, which is solid chocolate, can kill your dog if he eats enough. Onions and garlic have been vilified for causing bleeding. These alliums do have anticoagulant properties, but Bozo needs to eat a lot of garlic. Dehydrated onions are the most dangerous form since a little bit will do it. When making yeast rolls, be sure to let them rise in a safe place. Dogs love yeast and will snatch the whole pan. This is called bread toxicity. When the dough is eaten, the yeast will rise from the warmth in the stomach. The expansion of the dough will cause bloating of the stomach. The yeast will start fermenting in the stomach resulting in producing carbon dioxide gas and alcohol. The gas distends the stomach more, and the alcohol is quickly absorbed into the blood stream causing alcohol toxicity. ‘Tis the season for sharing good cheer! When your company has arrived and the wine, eggnog, and other alcoholic drinks are free flowing, be sure to make sure Bozo doesn’t have access to any of it. It is easy for your

dog to develop alcohol toxicity. Blood alcohol lowers the dog’s blood sugar, blood pressure, temperature, and can cause seizures and respiratory failure. Once the grand meal is over and the turkey carcass is taken away, watch out for the counter surfer who could snatch cooked bones. Bones that are raw are softer and easier to digest. Cooked bones are harder than raw bones. Poultry bones splinter and can cause intestinal irritation and at worse a perforation. Other leftovers rich in cooked fat, also known as grease, can be very dangerous to your dog. Rich food can trigger pancreatitis. Grease can cause bloody diarrhea and death. Some dogs are sensitive to grapes and raisins. Only a few can trigger kidney failure if your dog is susceptible. Enjoy sharing your holiday meals; just remember to watch the dog. Happy Holidays

Even those dogs who drive us nuts at some point, wiggle into our hearts and open it a li le more.

Judith K. Herman DVM, CVH Animal Wellness Center Augusta, ME www.mainehomeopathicvet.com

Downeast Dog News

GIVE from page 1 sent via PayPal to nobowlempty@outlook.com. For more informa on on dona ng, visit h ps:// www.facebook.com/nobowlemptypetpantry/. Her open hours may vary; contact her at 207-8088826.

THE AMY BUXTON PET PANTRY In 2012, Amy Buxton, a lifelong member of South Parish Congrega onal Church UCC in Augusta, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly at the age of 26. The church’s Board of Missions & Service wanted to honor her memory, and when they began tossing around ideas, a pet pantry was men oned—Amy had been an animal lover and spent hours volunteering for rescues and fostering pets. Kim Perkins, a member of the group, offered to spearhead the challenging pantry program and says, “It has become a labor of love.” Since they opened their doors in January of 2014, their mission has been to provide temporary assistance to a variety of animal owners: families suffering financially, low income seniors, and the disabled and homeless. That first year they served 705 people by providing food for 2,842 pets. In 2015, they served 837 people, providing meals for 3,278 pets. They’ve also had a rabies clinic and assist with spay and neuter costs. Kim credits the church with much of their success; they allow them the space, free of charge. She adds that Pine Tree Vet has also been helpful with dona ons. The Amy Buxton Pet Pantry never turns anyone away, and they want the clients to feel welcome. They ask them to fill out basic paperwork yearly with info on their pets, and they’re given an "ID Card" and assigned a number, with their last name only on the card. It makes the process simpler, smoother, and avoids any embarrassment on the client’s part. They always accept dona ons of dry and canned dog and cat food, supplies or cash dona ons; dona ons can be dropped off during their open hours on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month, 8 am to 9 am in the spring/summer, and 9 am to 10 am in the winter months (October through March). The pantry’s located in the church at 9 Church St. in Augusta.

NO BOWL EMPTY PET FOOD PANTRY In 2015, Nadine Molloy founded the South Portland based 501(c) (3) No Bowl Empty Pet Food Pantry, or NBE, because she saw the need. “I was running a cat rescue at the me, and I had so many people who were turning their pets in because they couldn’t feed them. It was breaking their hearts, and it was breaking the animals’

WALDO COUNTY PET FOOD PANTRY

hearts.” She set up the pantry in her garage and was off and running, serving Cumberland, York, and Androscoggin Coun es, with only her aunt, Charlo e Graff, by her side. “I thought there had to be a way to help the community…to keep animals with their family.” She made a commitment to help those families in need, including the homeless living on the streets with their pets. Thanks to her fundraising efforts and dona ons from the community, NBE’s able to offer dog and cat food, treats, toys, cat li er, and puppy pads and the expensive flea, ck and heartworm preventa ves. As of July 1, 2016, they’ve helped to feed 304 dogs and cats each month. Nadine says the people are so grateful. “Most of them cry because they’ve run out of op ons and didn’t know help was available.” Nicolle Cote-Bell went to NBE when her family had a rough month, something unusual for them. Nicolle shares, “This pet pantry was there with open doors and open arms to help us in our me of need.” Nadine met her a er hours and offered the necessary items, without judgment. “What she is doing is a wonderful thing, and we need more like her in our world.” Nadine herself has had two surgeries recently for Lymphoma, and she only shut the pantry down for a short me, no fying her customers via Facebook. She added, “I am staying posi ve and moving forward.” She knows people rely on her to be there, and that even when things are tough for a family, the love of their pet can brighten their day. NBE offers items to clients once a month for six months, then Nadine asks them to take a three month break. NBE always needs dog and cat food, li er, gi cards to Walmart, Sam’s Club, and Amazon, and monetary dona ons can be

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The Waldo County Pet Food Pantry was founded in December of 2013 at the Randall Collins VFW Post 3108 in Belfast by Animal Control Officer, Heidi J. Blood. She works closely with area shelters and they no ced a large increase in pet relinquishments because their owners couldn’t feed them. As a member of this VFW’s Ladies Auxiliary, she brought her concern to the group, and the pantry was created. Their guidelines are simple. Everyone is approved; there are no income guidelines. Those in need may u lize the pantry up to six mes per year; their goal is to assist as many families as they can. Heidi adds, “This is a very rewarding program as we tend to cater to veterans and mee ng their needs first. It is a wonderful feeling knowing that you are a small part of a person’s happiness when they realize they do not have to give up their beloved pets due to hardships that happen to all of us.” Several businesses as well as local residents support the pantry with food, supplies, and monetary dona ons. Food and supplies can be dropped off at the VFW Hall any day a er 10 am; the pantry is open on the 3rd Saturday of every month from 12:30 pm to 2 pm. Monetary dona ons can be made through PayPal to hjb04915@yahoo.com. They also have a GoFundMe page, and checks can be mailed to Waldo County Pet Food Pantry, 34 Field Street, Belfast, Maine 04915. The season of giving is upon us. If you’re able, please donate me, money, or food to a pet food pantry near you. And if you need assistance, remember that asking for help may be difficult, but if it means keeping your pet, it’s worth it. Heidi adds one last thought on the two-fold importance of these pantry programs. “This program is helping the already overcrowded animal shelters, by keeping loved and cared for pets at home and allowing room at the shelters for truly abandoned and lost animals.” To see a list of Maine Pet Food Pantries, turn to page 12.

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December 2016

Pet Life................ Back Cover Play Pals Pet Service .........15 Howl-idays Special ...........8-9

When one thing leads to another S

everal months ago, I appealed to readers to send me a list of the top three challenges they were experiencing with their dogs. Thank you to those who responded! The challenges which consistently ranked in the top three were (in no par cular order): 1. Jumping on people 2. Pulling on the leash 3. Not coming when called Before I delve into strategies for addressing these issues which I'll do more of in future ar cles, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to talk about how problems like this get planted, how and why they tend to grow, and what makes them so diďŹ&#x192;cult to change. Believe it or not, much of it revolves around us and our behaviors and habits. GENETICALLY PROGRAMMED Our dogs are gene cally programmed to do many of the things that annoy us the most: jumping, chewing/mouthing, digging, chasing, barking, etc. Dogs need appropriate outlets for expressing these and other natural ins ncts. While we certainly canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t live peacefully with a dog who is con nually engaging in these ac vi es, we can use their gene c programming to our advantage and at the same me provide them with

Basic Training Tips by Diana Logan

informa on on what alterna ve behavior will work. "Not do it." â&#x20AC;&#x153;What do you want your dog to do instead of jumping?â&#x20AC;?

I might ask a dog owner. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Not jumpâ&#x20AC;? is very often the answerâ&#x20AC;Ś or â&#x20AC;&#x153;not pullâ&#x20AC;? for pulling. This answer always amuses me. I get this response so frequently that has lead me to conclude that we humans might in fact be genetically programmed to think this way, to â&#x20AC;&#x153;notâ&#x20AC;? do something. Imagine you are taking karate lessons and the instructor only told you what not to do. Not fun! I encourage people to instead think in the positive: what do you want the dog to do instead of X behavior, and how can you set him up to WANT to do it? Yes, this takes some thinking and strategizing and lots of well- med rewards, but if we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a clue as to what we want our dog to do instead of jump, how can the dog possibly know whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expected? By the way.. jumping starts very earlyâ&#x20AC;Ś. Think of that adorable little fluff ball puppy who loves to crawl all over you and adorn you with snuggles and kisses. So darned cute! BUTâ&#x20AC;Ś. thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where the seeds for jumping get planted, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m afraid to say-with the baby dog putting his paws on us. If we allow our young puppies to crawl all over us without permission, they may continue to want to do so when theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re fully grown and when we are standing up - and on strangers. The habit

gets solidly planted in no time! Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nothing at all wrong with snuggling and affection, but there have to be boundaries. Namely, there has to be an invitation to invade your personal space. I teach a release cue which tells the dog, â&#x20AC;&#x153;okay, go for it!â&#x20AC;? If your little puppy starts to make the move to invade your space, just freeze. Withhold all attention, including eye contact. The moment he backs away or gives you even the smallest amount of space, reward him. If you have a dog who already has the habit, put him on a 6â&#x20AC;&#x2122; tether inside and posi on yourself outside his range. If he can keep all four feet on the ďŹ&#x201A;oor, reward him! The reward is in the form of whatever your dog values at that moment - it doesn't always have to be food, but it must be relevant to your dog at that moment. Dog trainers are pretty skilled at â&#x20AC;&#x153;seeing into the future.â&#x20AC;? We can often observe a dogâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s behavior and see how one little thing may affect future behavior, whether "good" or "bad." All those seeds are going to grow into something, after all. (Our dogs are not â&#x20AC;&#x153;misbehavingâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; they are simply â&#x20AC;&#x153;behaving.â&#x20AC;?) It's up to us to change our behavior so that our dog's behavior will change. Are you unintentionally rewarding the wrong behaviors?

Diana Logan, CPDT-KA Cer ďŹ ed Professional Dog Trainer, Knowledge-Assessed Pet Connec on Dog Training, North Yarmouth, Maine | www.dianalogan.com | 207-252-9352

Dr. Marta Agrodnia, DVM, DACVS

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Downeast Dog News

am a Carolina Dog, a breed that long ago owned Na ve American people. We were designed by natural selec on to be so intelligent and physically superior that we survived without human help. My great-grandfather was caught from the wild. I can oﬀer advice based on the natural ins ncts and a ributes of wild dogs. In addi on, my adop ve person and I have had lots of training classes and other experiences. Some humans call themselves Mom or Dad of their dogs,; but I refer to my human, tongue in cheek, as Boss. Much as I love my human, I admit she has many of the same odd no ons as most humans, so I can relate to other pet dogs with problem humans. Send your ques ons to Downeast Dog News! If I can’t help, at least I can oﬀer sympathy, and we can have some fun talking about our amazing humans. Bammy, PO Box 135, Newcastle, ME 04553, or email: askbammy@ dewater.net

Ask Bammy An Advice Column for Dogs by a Dog

Dear Bammy, What is the deal with ea ng grass, anyway? There’s a really nice li le patch beside my human’s ﬂower garden. I o en stop there and have a few sweet, tender young leaves, but my mom

comes along, “Oh, swee e, is your tummy feeling bad? Don’t do that! It’ll make you sick,” and she shoos me away from it. I admit I overindulged once when I was a puppy, and it did upset me, but a li le snack tastes so good, it’s got to be good for me. Why is she so worried about it? Grazer

Dear Grazer, Humans are funny about outdoor food, aren’t they? I wonder if your human ate too much grass once and got sick herself. They seem to be awfully fussy about emptying their stomachs. We eat all sorts of interes ng things, and if they don’t sit well, we just herk up whatever is bothering us and then we are fine. But humans groan and complain and lie down most of the day. While we’re talking about not feeling well, I have another use for grass. Boss used to think I could make it on two meals a day, even though she eats all day long! Some mes by late a ernoon my stomach felt awful! If I swallowed a lot of grass fast, it would bring up the sour stuff and I’d feel be er un l supper me. She finally caught on, and I get fed three mes a day now! There’s nice sweet grass right around my front steps. I usually pick a blade or two as I go out. Boss doesn’t stop me even though she doesn’t eat grass very o en. When she does eat it, she just s cks the tough end in her mouth and goes around with the rest hanging out. What does she get out of that? At least it doesn’t

make nasty smoke like those li le white s cks some people put in their mouths. There’s just one thing about grass where Boss and I disagree. When we go for a walk, I just take my nose and my good four feet. I can see why Boss brings my treat bag, but she has to get a collar, leash, li le bag she puts around her waist, hat, gloves - on and on. She usually forgets something and has to go back in the house. While I wait, I am so excited that I run around snatching up grass. For some reason, she doesn’t like that, and tells me to leave it. Why is that diﬀerent from ea ng grass by the steps? In winter, I even gulp snow while she’s pu ng on her skis, and she tells me leave-it about that, too. It isn’t about ea ng. It’s just something to do while I wait for her, but she keeps telling me not to. Why does your human try to keep you from a nice snack and mine doesn’t like me to eat when I’m excited? All I can think is that their mouths are so high above the ground that they are totally confused about ea ng down here.

So, enjoy your vegetables! Bammy

Help a dog find a forever home! See page 13.

Free Vaccines for Life! It is very important for all pets to have regular annual physical exams including parasite screenings. This is a simple and cost effective plan to give your pet the regular and personalized care they deserve. How will the program work? Adult pets onetime enrollment fee of $99. Puppies and Kittens (20 weeks of age or younger) onetime fee of $125.00–because during the ﬁrst 4 to 6 months they receive more vaccines than an adult dog or cat. After enrollment, your pet will receive the vaccines offered by this program for free for the rest of their life, as long as they come to Taylor Brook Animal Hospital.

Vaccines included in the program — Dogs: Cats: ✓ Rabies ✓ Rabies ✓ Distemper ✓ Distemper (RCP) ✓ Lyme Disease ✓ Leukemia *Leptospirosis Bordetella (kennel cough) is offered at a 10% discount. To stay enrolled in the program, your pet will need the following done annually: For Dogs: ✓ Preventative Care exam ✓ Lyme Disease, Anaplasmosis, Ehrlichiosis, and Heartworm Disease Blood Parasite Screening ✓ Comprehensive Intestinal Parasite Screening

For Cats: ✓ Preventative Care Exam ✓ Comprehensive Intestinal Parasite Screening ✓ FIV/FeLV blood screening (one time if indicated)

Please go to our website for more details: taylorbrookanimalhospital.com

Taylor Brook Animal Hospital • 33 Millett Drive, Auburn • 784-1726 December 2016

Happy Howl-idays! Happy Howl-idays from Downeast Dog News! If you have some furry friends on your holiday shopping list or perhaps need someone to look a er your pet while you are away please consider one of the adver sers from our Howl-idays spread.

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Downeast Dog News

Bristol

Visit us online! December 2016

Training Your Performance Dog Agility, Obedience, Tracking by Carolyn Fuhrer

Searching for Solu ons

o ma er which dog sport you may choose to par cipate in, training for a good solid performance takes me, commitment, energy, enthusiasm, knowledge, and pa ence. At some point – no ma er how good a trainer you are and how wonderful your dog is - you will run into problems. The best way to solve a problem is to recognize the early stages of breakdown and clarify the requirements of the exercise to the dog before the dog feels he has op ons about how to perform. So, as soon as

you feel something is not going as you would like, stop and try to iden fy the problem. Do NOT just keep repea ng the exercise or skill hoping it will get be er. Ask yourself (and be honest) – do you have bright a en on from your dog before you ask for a behavior? If not, you need to work on a en on. Work on achieving willing, bright focus from your

dog before you start training and throughout your training session. A en on is not op onal. Does your dog truly understand the exercise or skill you are asking for? Or have you proceeded too quickly without enough founda on? Go back to the beginning and increase conﬁdence on each step. Does your dog feel that performance is op onal? Improper use of food can convince the dog to think “if I don’t see the cookies, I don’t have to work.” In order to convince your dog that performance is not op onal, your dog must value the reward and understand how to achieve the reward. Work pays – lack of work does not pay. You must, at some me, be able to show your dog the correct performance or posi on by touching your dog. If your dog stays away from you, will not willingly come into your space or will not let you put a hand in his collar, you will not be able to correct certain behaviors. Dogs must understand which behaviors work and therefore will pay – and which behaviors do not work and therefore will not pay, or cause the fun to end Your dog needs to make choices and expect fair and consistent consequences for his behaviors. Another reason your dog

may not perform an exercise is because he is worried or afraid to make a mistake. If this is the case, you need to look at yourself and the first 3 areas we discussed: a en on, understanding the exercise, and thinking behavior is op onal. If your dog is confused about what is expected in any of these areas, he may just decide not to try rather than guess at what you want. You need to look at yourself and your a tude about the problem. Are you frustrated, disappointed, impa ent, unfair to your dog because you have not taught him properly, or perhaps you went too quickly in a progression? Before you cri cize your dog, you need to look carefully at each area we discussed and be willing to go back to the beginning and do a be er job. Just repea ng performances or taking out food to get a behavior will not solve the training problem. Beware of internet quick fixes. These solu ons may not fit in with your training founda on and will cause more confusion. Taking the me to understand the problem and working to solve the problem is what good training is all about, and it will strengthen your rela onship with your dog by building trust and coopera on.

Carolyn Fuhrer has earned over 90 AKC tles with her Golden Retrievers, including 2 Champion Tracker tles. Carolyn is the owner of North Star Dog Training School in Somerville, Maine. She has been teaching people to understand their dogs for over 25 years. You can contact her with ques ons, sugges ons and ideas for her column by e-mailing carolyn@dogsatnorthstar.com.

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Downeast Dog News

A Chiroprac c Adjustment and Acupuncture Treatment for Muppy Like you, I want my pets to have a long, healthy, wonderful life. That is why I appreciate that there are so many healthcare op ons for our pets. My pets have both a tradi onal veterinarian and a homeopathic veterinarian. As of this Fall, Muppy is also seeing a specialist in veterinary chiroprac c care and Chinese medicine and acupuncture. I had recently no ced that Muppy had occasionally started si ng with her right leg out to one side, much like our dog Gus had done for most of his life. Muppy was showing no obvious signs of pain or discomfort, but as we know, dogs hide these things well. Muppy does like to fly off and on our deck, so I was concerned about a possible orthopedic injury, and since Gus’ started si ng normally a er his first chiroprac c adjustment, I decided that taking Muppy to see a veterinary chiropractor for a preliminary exam made sense. I like having the li le scamp around, and if there is any chance she is in pain, I want to address that sooner rather than later. As we entered the office, Dr. Munzer greeted Muppy with a treat. That was a brilliant move because he made a friend for life. He allowed Muppy to meet him on her terms, and while we discussed the reasons for our visit, Muppy was allowed to explore his office and get comfortable. She felt so relaxed she started ge ng into things on Dr. Munzer’s bookshelf before joining me on the futon as I talked with Dr. Munzer. This served two purposes: Muppy had me to se le in, and Dr. Munzer had the opportunity to watch her and assess her posture and gait, an important part of a chiroprac c exam. As we talked, he was taking a complete health history that covered physical issues, behavior, and nutri on. Next, there was a combined chiroprac c and Chinese

WORDS, WOOFS & MEOWS by Don Hanson ACCBC, BFRAP, CDBC, CPDT-KA

medicine exam. This involved: Checking the color, shape, size and coa ng of Muppy’s tongue. The tongue is examined as part of a Chinese medicine exam, as it is used to assess circulatory status, systemic temperature, and pain/ stagna on. Examining Muppy’s head, ears, spine, and extremi es for heat or cold. Going over her skin and coat looking for any abnormali es or sensi ve areas. Checking the condi on of her nails and footpads. Scuﬀed nails/ pads are a sign of toe drag which may indicate an orthopedic or neurological problem. Palpa ng the spine, limbs, and surrounding muscles for pain or trigger points. Muppy exhibited some discomfort in her lower spine.

she has been moving be er. She had her second treatment a week later, the third treatment three weeks a er the first, and will have her next one a month a er the last. Both chiroprac c and acupuncture treatments focus on preventa ve care. So when should you consider acupuncture for your pets? Acupuncture can be very beneficial for trea ng pain as well as noninfec ous inflamma on such as that caused by allergies. It can be helpful for neurological issues; Gus was treated for idiopathic epilepsy, and it did reduce the frequency of his seizures. Acupuncture is also helpful in the treatment of musculoskeletal issues like arthri s and disk disease. It can be beneficial for trea ng feline asthma and gastrointes nal issues and even behavioral problems. You might want to consider chiroprac c care for your dog if he has any mobility issues or as in my case if you see something that does not look normal, but there are no obvious indica ons of pain or discomfort. Muppy is feeling be er since she started her chiroprac c and acupuncture treatments and that makes me happy.

Tracing along the acupuncture meridians and looking for twitch responses and feeling for deficient Chi points. Checking the femoral pulses for symmetry, rate, strength, depth, and character. Moving all the joints of the spine and extremi es to assess if there are restric ons on the range of mo on or if any joints are stuck out of neutral. A er the ini al exam, Muppy received her first chiroprac c adjustment. She was on top of a large foam block with me si ng in a chair near her head. Dr. Munzer gently adjusted the joints that were out of alignment. Following the chiroprac c adjustment, he repeated his exam of the acupuncture meridians. This was followed up by the inser on of acupuncture needles at several points. The needles remained in place, and Muppy remained calmly on the table for several minutes. I remember that Gus would fall asleep during his acupuncture treatments, a not uncommon reac on to acupuncture. At the end of her treatment, the acupuncture needles were removed, and Muppy hopped off the foam block, and we went home. Since her first treatment,

Don Hanson is the co-owner of the Green Acres Kennel Shop (greenacreskennel.com) in Bangor. He is a Bach Founda on Registered Animal Prac oner (BFRAP), Cer fied Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC), Associate Cer fied Cat Behavior Consultant (ACCBC) and a Cer fied Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA). He produces and co- hosts a weekly radio show and podcast, The Woof Meow Show heard on The Pulse AM620 WZON and streamed at h p://www.wzonradio.com/ every Saturday at 9 AM. A list of upcoming shows and podcasts of past shows can be found at www.woofmeowshow.com. Don also writes about pets at his blog: www.words-woofs-meows.com.

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HUMANE SOCIETY WATERVILLE AREA Advocates for the Humane Treatment of all Animals By Susan Spisak

o shelter animals un l they find permanent homes, to educate the community about responsible pet ownership, and to advocate for the humane treatment of all animals,” this is the mission of Humane Society Waterville Area, or HSWA. Director Lisa Smith joined this 501(c)( 3) two years ago and immediately implemented programs to carry out these goals. She’s proud of what’s been accomplished and realizes the changes increased their placement rate – it’s a successful 97.5%. In addi on to being cheerful and friendly, Lisa’s a no-nonsense hard worker; when she first came on board, she logged over 100 hours weekly, o en working through the night administering medica on and treatments on cri cally ill animals. “I was determined these animals would have a figh ng chance, and showing it could be done with a li le more me and care was the first step. Gradually the philosophy caught on, and a hardworking and dedicated team commi ed to saving lives formed, and together we resumed a more normal schedule as a group working together.” Because Maine has “pre y well conquered” dog overpopula on and strays, they partnered with highkill shelters across the US that are overburdened with animals, bringing them to HSWA. By impor ng animals, following all state guidelines, they’re saving their lives and offering them a second chance. HSWA benefits as well—they have a wider variety of breeds to offer the community. “Seriously, a lot of Maine dogs are labs, pits, and hound mixes; they’re all wonderful dogs, but not everyone wants those breeds.” More dogs equates to more traffic to the shelter, giving the Maine dogs visibility. Each animal is spayed or neutered and vaccinated upon intake. HSWA u lizes local dog behaviorists to assess and prepare adoptable dogs with skills for family life. Lisa’s bolstered the foster program, and HSWA relies on peer shelters to take pets, especially cats, when they’re full. Sanita on

CHUNK

JACK

4 years, Lab/Retriever/Akita Mix

4 years, American Bull Dog Mix Loves to be with people and is very calm when they're around. Has severe separa on anxiety, so he needs a home where someone is around o en and is willing to work with him on that. He's a sweet boy who just wants to be loved - and is he ever loveable! He does not do well with other dogs, but he likes cats.

He's got tons of get-up-and-go; perfect for someone who's ac ve outdoors and would like company on their adventures. He's had some basic training, is trustworthy in the home, and is okay with cats and dogs. Chunk doesn't like children who are his size or smaller. He absolutely loves adults as long as he's introduced to them ﬁrst.

Available at the Humane Society Waterville Area (207)873-2430

protocol has been improved in general; they also segregate the healthy animals from the sick, thus containing illness. Her Barn Friends program is targeted at feral cats, many of whom are being fed by folks in the community. When they land at HSWA, they’re spayed or neutered, vaccinated, ve ed, and dewormed. About 50% of these cats will “turn around” and become social and adoptable. The rest are oﬀered through the Barn Friends program; they ask that the cat is provided with food and water daily, and in exchange, the animal can keep their barn, garage, or shed rodent free.

She is thankful for all her employees and volunteers, including those that augment her small team from Na onal Able Organiza on and High Hopes. They’ve all had addi onal training to provide excellent customer service and to understand the importance of oﬀering spay or neuter and free pet food and services to those in need to prevent surrenders, thus reducing incoming animals. For more info, including hours, available dogs, cats, and pocket pets, and how to make dona ons, visit h p://hswa.org/. HSWA is located at 100 Webb Road, Waterville. Lisa is glad to answer any ques ons at (207) 873-2430.