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New Year's Resolution:
Relationship-Based Training
The APDT (Association of Professional Dog Trainers) has declared January as Train Your Dog Month. The idea is to
bring awareness to the public about the importance of socialization and training, and to inform the public that training your dog can be easy and fun!
The very best way to keep your furry family member safe and happy is to be sure he or she is well-trained. Whether you hire a professional or train him or her yourself, good training is paramount to the well-being of the entire family.
T
oo many dogs are turned into animal shelters each year for behavior and training issues that could be easily solved with proper socialization and positive, gentle, science-based methods of training. Forming a relationship with your pet based on
respect
will help you and those you love start the year off right!
T
he Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS) gives many helpful hints for relationship-based training. Here's one example of an HSUS approved method to train your dog to "come" when called, known as Recall.
Back Up and Recall
You can practice this method in the house or while out on a walk with your dog.
- Put your dog on a leash.
- Hold the other end of the leash, say "come" once, then quickly move backward.
- Keep moving backward until your dog gets all the way to you.
- When your dog catches up to you, say "Yes!"
- Give your dog a treat.
Tip #1: Back Up and Recall is also a good way to teach your dog not to pull on his leash when you take a walk.
Each time he starts to pull, say "come," and move backward until your dog gets to you. Say "Yes!" and reward him with a treat.
You may spend much of your first few walks going backward, but it won't take long for your dog to learn that he must pay attention to where you are going instead of choosing his own path and speed.
Tip #2: Make it a game for your dog...Hide and Seek
As your dog learns "come," practice Hide and Seek inside your home. Have an assistant distract or hold your dog while you go out of the room. Call out, "come."
When he finds you, say "Yes!" and give him a treat. Over time you can make this game more difficult, by moving to more distant rooms of the house before you call "come."
So, whether you decide to work with your pup yourself or hire a professional, make sure training is fun for everyone!
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A few of our Adorable Adoptables
Tracey
Mrs. Snoop
Barry
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Meet
GINNY
and
JETHRO
...
As sweet as can be.
Ginny is an extremely sweet 2 year old beauty with a gorgeous blush-colored coat. Ginny came to us from a
shelter
in Cape May, New Jersey after being abandoned by her summer people. Though she's quite shy, she is also very smart. Ginny found her way to the neighbors house where they would feed her. Realizing this was no life for a darling kitty, especially as it was getting colder outside, these good samaritans brought her to the shelter in the hopes that she would find her very own loving home with her very own loving family.
After all she's been through, this girl takes a little while to warm up to new people. She will gladly accept any amount of petting (and will even purr and rub her head against you), but hesitates to wander around the cat room. Maybe it's all the activity or maybe she just prefers humans to other cats. Either way, Ginny likes to feel safe and cozy in her bed under the window seat where we sit and adore her. Now all she needs is some patience, love and a nice quiet spot of her own. With a little stability, Ginny is certain to become the princess she was meant to be. Ginny would do best in a quiet home.
Ginny is FelV/FiV negative, and is spayed.
Adoption fee is $200.
***Please remember to keep your cats indoors, especially during this time of year, as predators are active preparing for the harsh weather ahead.***
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JETHRO
J
ethro, a three-year-old pointer/cattle dog mix, came to us from Mississippi along with his brother Hank after their financially strapped family abandoned them. This 75 lb pup is full of Southern charms. Once comfortable with you, this good ol' boy becomes a snuggler. And just look at that face! Jethro is a gorgeous, sweet, sociable dog. He loves adults and children, is good with other dogs, and, while mildly curious about cats, he is not aggressive with them.
Jethro was extremely thin and undernourished when found, but with regular feedings, treats and not enough activity at the shelter in Mississippi, he put on a bit too much weight.
However, those few extra pounds are sure to melt off once he finds a loving home of his own where he will have a proper diet and get plenty of
regular
exercise. Jethro has
spent much of his life living outside, but he is smart and wants to please so should adapt beautifully to
living
indoors.
With a hard to resist personality, Jethro will make his home an even happier place to be. If you're looking for a sweet big boy,
this
guy will be a wonderful addition to a very lucky family. Maybe yours?
Jethro is up to date on vaccinations, is micro-chipped, and is neutered.
Adoption fee is $350.
To help rescue more amazing animals like Lucy, Jethro and his brother Hank, please...
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***Cheers to YOU! ***
At the start of this new year, we want to thank all of our supporters by making YOU the hometown heroes. Throughout the year, we have received your generous monetary donations that are very necessary to allow us to do the rescue work we do. We have also been gifted supplies that our rescue animals need from our supportive community members. You've donated your time, working tirelessly to help out when and where needed. You've sponsored our events and spent the National Day of Service at ROAR. Our younger supporters have interned with us, made blankets and toys for the animals, collected supplies as service projects and raised money through bake sales and birthday present requests. And, best of all, you have adopted precious animals in need into your homes, giving them the love and care they deserve. You have done the other half of the work we started...you decided to adopt, not shop.
Having a pet is an amazing and life-changing experience; the benefits of owning one are seemingly endless. The reasoning behind the "Adopt, Don't Shop" mantra is much deeper than many people seem to understand. It is a movement, a social agenda, and a fight against puppy mills, where pet stores get most of the animals they sell. The "Adopt, Don't Shop" slogan is, primarily, a crusade against puppy mills.
Puppy mills, as defined by the ASPCA, are a "large-scale commercial dog breeding facility where profit is given priority over the well-being of the dogs." They are used to breed staggering amounts of puppies to sell to pet stores for a profit, and there are around 10,000 of them in the United States (both licensed and unlicensed). Puppy mills have a complete lack of consideration for their dogs' health, both physically and emotionally. It is a business and everything is done to maximize profits.
Choosing to adopt a pet instead of buying one sends a powerful message. It tells the puppy mills and the USDA that you do not support the inhumane treatment so many animals are put through everyday. Your actions matter, and as small as you may think they are, they are in fact contributing to a much larger cause. So, your choice to support animal rescue and/or to adopt one from us or any shelter, makes you our Hometown Heroes...not only this month, but each and every day!
Thank you.
For the Humane Society of the United States' top reasons for adopting instead of shopping, go to their website by clicking here.
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