rec.pets.dogs: Introduction FAQ

[Cindy Tittle Moore]

Archive-name: dogs-faq/introduction
Version: 4.0

Last-modified: 16 Dec 1994

=======
The latest versions of these FAQ's may be found via the Web at
http://io.com/user/tittle/dogs-faq/homepage.html.

There are nearly 50 FAQ's available for this group. For a complete
listing of these, get the "Complete List of RPD FAQs". This article
is posted bimonthly in rec.pets.dogs, and is available via anonymous ftp
to rtfm.mit.edu under pub/usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/faq-list, via
the Web at http://io.com/user/tittle/dogs-faq/lists/faq-list.html, or via
email by sending your message to mail-...@rtfm.mit.edu with
send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/faq-list
in the body of the message.
==========

INTRODUCTION TO REC.PETS.DOGS.*

Table of Contents

* History of rec.pets.dogs.*
* Current Groups And Charters
* Acknowledgements
* History of the FAQ's


_________________________________________________________________

History of rec.pets.dogs.*

Prior to the summer of 1991, there was a single newsgroup for
discussing issues of interest to pet owners. This was rec.pets, and
this group still exists for those pets that don't have their own
newsgroups.

Rec.pets.dogs (and rec.pets.cats) was formed in the summer of 1991.
Joe DiBenedetto proposed the split and collected the votes, which
proved more than enough for its official creation.

In the late summer of 1994, another discussion on splitting
rec.pets.dogs itself started up, due to the hundreds of daily messages
on the group. This split was proposed by Cindy Tittle Moore, and
Ronald Dippold collected the overwhelmingly positive vote. The new
splinter groups were created on November 9th, and rec.pets.dogs
removed two months later.

ORIGINAL CHARTER FOR RPD

Rec.pets.dogs is a newsgroup devoted to domestic canine issues. This
group can be friendly and helpful. Flamewars are generally limited to
several topics: crating dogs, training by the Koheler method, docking
and cropping, animal rights activism, wolf hybrids and pit-bull (or
other breed) dog bans. New readers are advised against starting these
topics up on the newsgroup as long, protracted, and inflammatory
discussions often ensue. The facts pertaining to these controversial
topics are covered in the FAQ's. This is not to say that these topics
are forbidden from discussion on rec.pets.dogs, but that regular
readers would greatly appreciate it if you checked out what the FAQ
had to say on them to make sure you have something new to contribute.

_________________________________________________________________

Current Groups And Charters

QUICK SUMMARY

rec.pets.dogs.activities Dog events: showing, obed, agility, etc.
rec.pets.dogs.behavior Behaviors and problems: housetraining, chewing,
etc. rec.pets.dogs.breeds Breed specific -- breed traits, finding
breeders, etc. rec.pets.dogs.health Info about health problems & how
to care for dogs rec.pets.dogs.info General information and FAQs
posted here. (Moderated) rec.pets.dogs.misc All other topics, chat,
humor, etc. rec.pets.dogs.rescue Information about breed rescue,
placing and adopting The groups were created on 11/9/94.

CHARTERS FOR REC.PETS.DOGS.*



rec.pets.dogs.activities
This group is for the discussion of activities involving dogs.
Examples include but are not limited to conformation,
obedience, field trials, herding trials, frisbee/disc
competition, flyball, hunting, sledding, backpacking/camping
and hiking. Other appropriate topics include discussion of
training for the particular activity, physical conditioning,
how to hook up with activities available in your area, etc.
Sportsmanlike conduct is expected; in particular, derogatory
comments about activities you don't care for are frowned upon.
Use of keywords in the subject line to clearly identify your
activity is encouraged.

rec.pets.dogs.behavior
This group is for the discussion of typical behavioral problems
with dogs. Examples include but are not limited to: digging,
barking, aggressive behavior, housetraining, crate training,
etc. Also appropriate is discussion of "why" dogs behave as
they do and how to work with that to eliminate some behaviors
and reinforce others.

rec.pets.dogs.breeds
This group is for extensive breed specific discussion. Topics
may include breed specific health problems, locating breeders
of particular breeds, discussing breed specific abilities and
characteristics, asking about what breeds make appropriate pets
under what circumstances. Clearly identifying the breed you are
discussing in the subject line is encouraged.

rec.pets.dogs.health
This group is for health and medical questions related to dogs.
This includes, but certainly is not limited to, questions on
hip dysplasia, epilepsy, eye problems, diabetes, bloat,
allergies and skin problems, etc. Hereditary and acquired
diseases may be discussed, as well as traumatic disorders.
Questions about nutrition and feeding are also appropriate
here. This newsgroup is not intended to replace veterinary care
in any way, but is to help inform the dog owner about canine
health.

rec.pets.dogs.info, moderated
This is a moderated group and only posts faqs and informational
files relevant to rec.pets.dogs.*. The moderator is Cindy
Tittle Moore (rpd-...@netcom.com, rpd-info...@netcom.com)
Appropriate faqs that are already cleared for posting to
news.answers are automatically eligible to be posted here.
Others that are regularly posted (and listed in "Complete List
of RPD.* FAQ's") are also eligible for posting here. No
discussion is permitted on this group. This group is intended
to make the faqs and artictles with useful information for RPD
more visible and easier to find, especially for newcomers.

rec.pets.dogs.misc
This group is for miscellaneous questions that are not more
appropriate for one of the other groups. This includes chat,
humor, anything pertaining to canines not explicitly covered
elsewhere. This group replaces the original rec.pets.dogs
group.

rec.pets.dogs.rescue
This unmoderated newsgroup proposed as rec.pets.dogs.rescue
will be used for the discussion of all aspects of dog rescue.
Topics appropriate to this newsgroup will include, but are not
limited to:

+ General questions and answers on dog rescue.
+ General announcements relative to various rescue groups.
+ General discussion of methods to use in helping a rescue dog
adjust to its new home.
+ Idiosyncrasies found in rescue dogs, i.e., fears, aggression,
etc., and how to handle same.
+ Training or re-training the rescue dog.
+ Breed specific rescue group information.


_________________________________________________________________

History of the FAQ's

Michael Mahler attempted a FAQ in 1991 that consisted of compiled but
unedited articles saved from the net. Due to time constraints, he gave
up the project, and I received copies of the articles that he had
saved and incorporated much of them in here from other readers. I have
heard of other attempts at FAQ's well, but no real details.

The current suite of RPD FAQ's started out as eight articles,
patterned largely after the RPC FAQ's the author had just completed.
These were put out publicly in the summer of 1992, and have since
grown to over 20 FAQs and some 30 breed specific FAQ's. Many of the
breed FAQ's are written by volunteers familiar with or researching the
breed.
_________________________________________________________________

Acknowledgements

First and foremost, I would like to thank the posters of RPD.* over
the years. Many of them contributed substantial material for this FAQ.
A good number have pointed out errors and corrections, keeping the
FAQ's wonderfully up-to-date. Some contributed unknowingly, as I
lifted their posts directly from the newsgroup, obtained them from
summaries kept by other people, or lifted them out of mailing lists.
Without this body of knowledge and contribution, these FAQ's would not
exist.

To thank every contributor has proven increasingly impossible over the
years as the numbers have swelled beyond counting or listing. But a
few I would like to thank in particular are:

Marla Belzowski (for her initial encouragement and Collie FAQ),
Stephen R. Lee (for the Mushing section and Mal/Sib FAQ's), Liza
Miller (for her extensive contributions to the Puppy FAQ and the Lab
FAQ), Lily Mummert (for her extensive comments on herding), Michael
Sierchio (overall comments, feedback), Charlie Sorsby (information on
hunting tests), and Rusty Wright (for much of the original material on
Guide Dogs).

I'd like to thank Michael Buening for the creation of the Rescue FAQ
and Janice Ritter for its current maintenance. Charlene Douglass wrote
the Pet Loss FAQ, Ian Hogg the Flyball FAQ. Jeff Parke has commented
on different sections in the Medical Info FAQs.

Finally, I'd especially like to thank all the authors of the Breed
FAQ's who contributed their time and expertise to write the documents.

_________________________________________________________________

Introduction to rec.pets.dogs.*
Cindy Tittle Moore, tit...@netcom.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article is Copyright (c) 1994 by Cindy Tittle Moore. It may be
freely distributed in its entirety provided that this copyright notice
is not removed. It may not be sold for profit nor incorporated in
commercial documents without the author's written permission. This
article is provided "as is" without express or implied warranty.

Explicit permission is hereby granted to all humane shelters, animal
shelters, city pounds and rescue organizations placing animals to
redistribute the material under the conditions above.

Cindy Tittle Moore
Internet: tit...@netcom.com USmail: PO BOX 4188, Irvine CA 92716
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Cindy Tittle Moore]

Archive-name: dogs-faq/behavior
Last-modified: 16 Dec 1994

=======
The latest versions of these FAQ's may be found via the Web at
http://io.com/user/tittle/dogs-faq/homepage.html.

There are nearly 50 FAQ's available for this group. For a complete
listing of these, get the "Complete List of RPD FAQs". This article
is posted bimonthly in rec.pets.dogs, and is available via anonymous ftp
to rtfm.mit.edu under pub/usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/faq-list, via
the Web at http://io.com/user/tittle/dogs-faq/lists/faq-list.html, or via
email by sending your message to mail-...@rtfm.mit.edu with
send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/faq-list
in the body of the message.
==========

BEHAVIOR: UNDERSTANDING AND MODIFYING


_________________________________________________________________

Table of Contents
* Prologue
* Top Ten Canine Myths
* Principles Behind Dominance
* Aggression with Other Dogs
* Housetraining Problems
* Submissive Urination
* Other Common Problems
+ Chewing
+ Biting
+ Fear Biting
+ Barking
+ Digging
+ Getting in the Garbage
+ Jumping
+ Car Chasing
+ Tug of War
+ People Food


_________________________________________________________________

Prologue

First, you should understand that there are two components to
"training" and they are frequently mixed. There is the kind of
training that solves behavioral problems. There is also the kind of
training that creates a command-response pattern. It is perfectly
possible to have a dog that heels, sits, and stays perfectly and digs
out all your marigolds. Conversely, you may have a dog that does not
destroy things in your house nor jump up on people, but does not sit
or heel. For purposes of clarity, I consider the former type of
training as "behavior modification" and the latter type as "obedience
training."

While this article discusses behavior modification and tries to help
you understand what the sources of trouble between you and your dog
may be, I want to stress that there is absolutely no replacement for a
trainer or animal behaviorist you know and trust to help you and your
dog. Having someone to ask questions and show you what works with your
dog is like having the picture as opposed to the words -- a thousand
times better. Nevertheless, this article will hopefully help with some
common problems.

That said, some good books that are aimed at helping solve problems
between dogs and owners are:

Dunbar, Ian and Gwen Bohnenkamp, Behavior Booklets.

Recommended especially for the first time dog owner. He has a
booklet on every common problem, such as: biting, fearfullness,
housebreaking, chewing, digging, barking etc. and has a really
simple, common sense, all bases covered sort of approach which
doesn't leave you asking, "But what do I do if the dogs performs
(such and such) variation?" which is *really* important for people
who don't have experience to fall back on. They can be had from:
Center for Applied Animal Behaviour
#2406 2140 Shattuck Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94704

Evans, Job Michael. (1991). People, Pooches, & Problems. NY: Howell
Book House. ISBN 0-87605-783-0 (hardcover). $19.95.

Excellent suggestions for dealing with common problems between dogs
and their owners. Highly recommended. [Evans is a former New Skete
monk.]

Milani, Myrna M., DVM. The Weekend Dog. Signet (Penguin Books USA,
Inc.) (1985). ISBN: 0-451-15731-1 (paperback).

This book outlines practical solutions for working people with dogs.
It has excellent suggestions for understanding dog behavior,
particularly destructive or unwanted behavior. Gives all kinds of
practical solutions to the problems of adequate exercise, adequate
training, housebreaking, and so forth.

Monks of New Skete, The. How To Be Your Dog's Best Friend. Little,
Brown & Company. 1978. ISBN: 0-316-60491-7 (hardback).

A monastery in upstate New York breeds, raises, and trains German
Shepherd Dogs. On the basis of their considerable experience, they
offer troubleshooting guides, discuss discipline, environmental
restrictions, basic and puppy training, and much more. Extensive
bibliography. The emphasis is on understanding the dog in order to
communicate with it or to solve problem behavior. An excellent, well
written classic.

Pryor, Karen. Don't Shoot the Dog!.

Introduction to inducive training. Lots of food for thought

Tucker, Michael. Solving your Dog Problems. J.M. Dent Pty Ltd,
Australia. ISBN: 0-8677-0053-X.

It is really funny, and it really makes you think about the messages
that you give your dog. Recommended for anyone who instructs in
obedience or who is trying to train their dog to be obedient, or
just easier to live with.


_________________________________________________________________

Top Ten Canine Myths

Hey, Rover would rather be outside all day than cooped up inside!

False. Dogs are strongly pack-oriented animals. They prefer best to
be with their pack whenever possible. If you are inside, they will
want to be inside with you. If you are outside, again, they will
want to be with you. If you are at work, while they would still like
to be with you, this is not usually possible. In this case, does it
matter whether the dog is kept inside or outside? It turns out that
many dogs behave well when kept inside; bark, dig, and whine while
kept out in the yard. Why is this? Your home is the "den." Dogs
prefer to be closer to the center of the den -- the place where the
pack's smells are most acute. While some dogs are happy to stay
outdoors during the day while the rest of the pack is gone to work,
a great many dogs develop behavioral problems as a result of daily
"expulsion" from the den.

In addition, a dog with access to a large territory may feel
compelled to "defend" all of it, resulting in other types of
problems: frantic barking at "intruders," and so on. Restricting the
amount of territory it has to protect may reduce this type of
behavior.

A good compromise for many dogs is access both to a restricted part
of the house and a restricted part of the yard. The inside-outside
access keeps him from feeling ejected from the "den" without having
too much territory to defend. A dog that can't be trusted inside and
is destructive outside will probably benefit the most from being
crated during the day. With most dogs, if you crate them through
puppyhood (which also helps with housebreaking), by the time they
are mostly adult (from 8 months to 24 months of age depending on the
breed) you can start weaning them off the crate. Because they are
used to spending the time in the crate quietly, they will form the
habit of spending that same time quietly whether in the crate or not
as adults.

Well, OK, but it's different in the country, isn't it?

It is an absolute myth that living in the country confers greater
latitude in the dictum "thou shall keep thy dog constrained to the
immediate environs of the pack." Country dogs allowed to run free
get shot by hunters or farmers protecting their livestock. They get
into fights with other dogs over territory. They can kill livestock,
fight and tassle and get disease from wild animals, and be hit by
cars on the highway. They become increasingly aggressive as they vye
for larger and larger perimeter boundaries to their territory, and
they no longer relate to YOU as the leader of their pack. Also,
don't forget that intact animals will breed and add to the
overpopulation problem.

This same misconception leads people to dump unwanted dogs "in the
countryside." Most such dogs die a painful death, either by slow
starvation, injuries from being hit by a car or in a fight with
another animal, or they are shot by farmers protecting their
livestock. The countryside is not some sort of romantic haven for
stray dogs.

When dogs are mad at people, they do all kinds of spiteful things.

First remember that "undesireable behavior" is in the eye of the
beholder. To the dog, it's perfectly alright to dig, to bark, to
chase after other dogs, etc. This doesn't mean you can't control
these behaviors, of course, but it does mean that the dog isn't
doing them "to spite you." The dog hasn't a clue that it's not to do
these things unless you train it not to. And it has to understand
what you want from it!

When dogs start undesirable (to humans) behavior, its best to try to
understand the source of this behavior. Often it stems from the
frustration of being left alone. Dogs are very social animals. One
positive solution is to make sure your dog is properly exercised.
Exercise is a wonderful cure to many behavioral problems and dogs
just love it. Do check with your vet for the proper amount of
exercise for both the age and breed of any dog. Another solution is
obedience training. The point is, your dog needs your attention,
whether it is by taking it out on a walk, training it, or both.

Ah, but my dog always looks GUILTY after he's done something like
this!

No. He's reacting to your body language and emotions. When you come
in and see the toilet paper all over the floor, you get mad. The dog
can tell that you are upset and the only thing he knows how to do is
to try and placate you, as the alpha. So they try and get you out of
your bad mood by crouching, crawling, rolling over on their backs,
or avoiding eye contact. You interpret the dog as acting "guilty"
when in fact the dog hasn't the faintest idea of what is wrong and
is simply hoping you will return to a better mood. The important
thing to remember is that if your dog finds that it cannot
consistently predict your anger or the reasons for it, it will begin
to distrust you -- just as you would someone who unpredictably flew
into rages.

This is why it's so important to catch dogs "in the act." That way
you can communicate clearly just what it is they shouldn't do.
Screaming and yelling at the dog, or punishing it well after the
fact does not tell your dog what is wrong. You may in fact wind up
teaching it to fear you, or consider you unreliable. You must get
your dog to understand you, and you have to work on the
communication gap, as you are more intelligent than your dog.

Preventing your dog from unwanted behaviors coupled with properly
timed corrections will go much further in eliminating the behavior
from your pet than yelling at it.

In fact, you should not yell at, scream at, or hit your dog, ever.
There are much more effective ways to get your point across. Try
instead to understand the situation from your dog's point of view
and act accordingly. The techniques in this chapter approach
problems with this in mind.

Crating a dog is an awful thing to do to it and they hate it.

Again untrue. Dogs are by nature den animals. When properly
introduced to a crate, most dogs love it, and they will often go
into their crates on their own to sleep. Of course, no dog should be
left in the crate so long that it must soil the crate. It's a
wonderful tool to use for housetraining, but puppies are not
physically equipped to go for more than three or four hours without
going to the bathroom. And all use of a crate should be done with an
eye toward eventually weaning the dog off of it. There are only a
few dogs that must always use a crate while you are gone.
Afterwards, it is a very useful thing to have -- for example if at
all possible your dog should always ride in the car in his crate.

Crating a dog works to prevent the dog from doing many of the
behaviors you don't want it to. What your dog does not do does not
develop into a habit and thus requires no correction. Second, it
means that when your dog does have an opportunity to engage in the
unwanted behavior, you are around (because you're home to let it
out) to give a proper and timely correction.

As the behavioral aspects pointed out above, reducing the territory
to protect and keeping it in the den are also positive things from
the dog's point of view, reducing the overall stress that it
experiences.

Ya gotta show a dog who is boss.

To some extent, this is true. But what many people think this is
comprised of are usually quite wrong. You don't show a dog "who is
boss" by hitting it, yelling at it, or via other methods of
punishment. You show a dog who is boss by being its leader. Show it
what to do, how to behave. Most dogs are waiting for you to take the
lead. There are actually only a very few dogs who will actively
challenge you for "top dog" position. Rather, most dogs take the
"top dog" position because their owners have made no effort to do
so, and not only that, their owners don't recognize what is
happening -- until the dog starts correcting them for their
misbehavior!

Interestingly, many forms of behavior that have been touted as
showing dominance over a dog backfire badly. This is because in many
cases dogs really aren't contending for the "top dog" position:
applying techniques to "show him who is boss" in these instances
results in the dog being alienated from you and distrusting you
because you corrected it for no good reason. The alpha roll, long
touted as the "best" of these methods is in reality a last ditch,
all out correction. It's what you do to your teenager after he's
taken a joyride in your car and totalled it, not when he first asks
you for the keys. Being unfair to your dog in this way can create a
fear biter, one who has lost all hope of being treated fairly and
defends himself the only way he knows how.


_________________________________________________________________

Principles Behind Dominance

For obedience training to proceed smoothly, your dog must consider you
its alpha leader. This means that it considers YOU the boss. There are
a number of exercises you can to to establish and maintain dominance
over your dog. Individual dogs vary in submissiveness. If your dog is
very submissive, you don't need to worry about establishing dominance
(in fact, you may need to tone down your own dominating behavior to
help bolster its confidence). Most dogs are happy to be submissive:
just be sure to show approval at the occasional signs of submission,
and assert dominance if it tries to test you (most dogs will, in
adolescence). A very few dogs may be dominant and continually
challenge you for dominance, in which case you will actively need to
assert and establish your position, but this last is exceedingly rare.


More often, people will misinterpret adolescent high energy or bratty
behavior as ploys for dominance when they are not. Think of a two year
human child testing her parents. She's finding out what the limits are
rather than actually "challenging" her parents for leadership. Puppies
and young dogs do exactly the same thing. Correct them firmly, but
don't go into an all out "dominance battle" -- it's inappropriate and
your dog will begin to distrust you. Returning to the toddler analogy,
the most you might do is a sharp word or a small swat on the rear. You
would not pick her up, hold her against the wall and scream at her.
Remember that most dogs are still "young" (in human terms, under 20
years of age) until they are two or three. In other words, don't
confuse physical maturity with mental maturity.

Never mistake being alpha with punishment. An alpha leader is fair. An
alpha leader *deserves* its position. An alpha leader does not use
fear, punishment or brute force to achieve and maintain its position.
An alpha leader, instead, makes it crystal clear what behaviors it
approves of and which it does not. An alpha leader expects its
subordinates to follow its lead, it does not force them to.

If you get mad at your dog, or angry or furious, you've lost the alpha
position. Dogs do not understand fury. You have to be calm and
focused.

ALWAYS SHOW APPROVAL AT SIGNS OF SUBMISSION

Praise your dog when it drops its eyes first. Praise it when it licks
you under the chin. Give it an enthusiastic tummy rub when it rolls
over on its back.

BE CONSISTENT AND FAIR IN YOUR CORRECTIONS

You must demonstrate to your dog that it can trust your orders. Do not
ever correct the dog after the fact. Such corrections appear to be
arbitrary and unfair to the dog, because it has no associative memory
the way people do.

If your dog is still a puppy, socializing it is a good way to gain its
trust.

If you decide that some action requires correction, *always* give a
correction when you see that action. For example, if you decide that
your dog is not allowed on the sofa, then *always* correct it when you
see it on the sofa.

Consistency can be a big challenge with a family: every family member
must agree on the basic ground rules with the dog; when and for what
it should be corrected, what commands to use and so on. Families must
cooperate extensively to avoid confusing the dog. It is best if only
one person actively trains the dog; thereafter if the commands are
given the same way, everyone in the family can use them.

Finally, always use the *minimum* correction necessary. If a sharp
AH-AH will do, use that rather than an alpha roll. If a pop under the
chin will do, use that rather than a scruff shake.

CORRECT THE DOG'S CHALLENGES

Especially during adolescence, you dog may test and/or challenge your
position. Do not neglect to correct this behavior. You don't need to
come down like a ton of bricks; just making it clear you don't
tolerate the behavior is sufficient. For example, don't let your dog
crowd you through the door, don't let him jump out of the car until
you've given him permission, don't let him jump for food in your hand.
Don't let him ignore commands that he knows.

LEARN HOW TO DISPLAY ALPHA BEHAVIOR

You may not need to use all of these, but you should be familiar with
them. They are listed in "escalating" order. Do not use any of these
if you are angry or upset. The point is never to hurt the dog, but to
show it who is alpha. They work best if you are calm, firm, and matter
of fact. Again, always use the minimum correction necessary.

More important than knowing how to perform an alpha roll is learning
to play the alpha role. That means having the attitude of "I am always
right and I will _never_ let my dog willfully disobey me" without ever
becoming angry or giving up. Picture a small two-year old toddler, for
example. You're not in a struggle over who's "Mom" but over what the
child is allowed to do, and there's a crucial difference in the two.

Using an alpha roll on a dog who is already submissive but disobeys
because it doesn't know what is expected of is destructive to the
relationship between you and the dog. Likewise, using an alpha role on
a dominant dog but not using any other positive reinforcements can
alienate it. Most dogs never need to be alpha rolled in their lives.

Furthermore, alpha rolls are one of the strongest weapons in dominance
arsenal. Save it for the gravest of infractions.

Being dominant is no substitute for learning to read and understand
your dog. Proper obedience (which should be a part of any dog's life,
even when "only" a pet) is a two way street and requires you to be as
responsible to your dog as your dog is responsive to you.

There are a number of ways in demonstrating dominance:


* Timeouts: put the dog on a down stay or if not yet trained to do
so, put it in its crate quietly and without fuss. Fifteen minutes
is fine. No yelling is necessary, keep it all very quiet. This is
often suprisingly effective, since dogs are such social creatures.


* Eye contact: alphas "stare down" subordinates. If your dog does
not back down in a stare contest, start a verbal correction. As
soon as it backs down, praise it.

* Taps under the chin: alpha dogs nip subordinates under the chin as
corrections. You can use this by tapping (NEVER hitting) your dog
under the chin with one or two fingers. Don't tap on top of the
muzzle, not only can you risk injuring your dog's sense of smell,
you may make him handshy.

* Grabbing under the ears: alpha dogs will chomp under subordinate
dogs' ears and shake. You can mimic this by holding the skin under
your dog's ears firmly and shaking. Again, do not use excessive
force. Do this just enough to get the point across. DO NOT grab
the top of the neck and shake. You may injure your dog this way.

* Alpha roll: Pin the dog to ground on its side with feet away from
you. Hold scruff/collar with one hand to pin head down (gently but
firmly) with the other hand on hip/groin area (groin area contact
will tend to cause the dog to submit to you.) Not recommended.

INSIST ON DECOROUS BEHAVIOR

Feed your dog after your own dinner. Make him lay down while you are
eating rather than beg at your lap. Don't let it crowd through a
doorway ahead of you. Don't let it hop out of the car until you say
OK. There are a variety of small things you can do that assert your
dominance in a non-traumatic way. If you're clever about it, you can
use them to get a well-behaved dog (one that doesn't shoot out of the
front door or scramble out of the car or beg at the table). In
particular, putting a behavior that the dog wants to do on hold until
you say OK is a very good way to be the alpha and keep the dog well
behaved.

MAKE SURE YOUR DOG OBEYS EVERYONE IN YOUR FAMILY

This is a fairly important point. If your dog seems to have trouble
obeying a particular family member, you must make sure it does so, by
always backing up the family member when he or she tells the dog to do
something. If the family member seems to be afraid of the dog, or is
very young, then you should supervise all interaction until the
problem is resolved.
_________________________________________________________________

Aggression with other Dogs

Dogs can be aggressive with other dogs, especially if they have not
been properly socialized with other dogs in puppy-hood. Sometimes a
dog that is naturally dominant has trouble with other dogs especially
in puberty. Sometimes a dog has a specific experience (e.g. a dogfight
with another aggressive dog) that causes it to become aggressive
toward other dogs in general as well. Whatever the reason, it is well
worth your time working on your dog's aggression toward other dogs.
You will probably get the best results, especially with a problem dog
-- extreme aggression, for example -- if you contact a local trainer
(preferably one that specializes in problem dogs) for individual help.
However, there are some common-sense things you can do.

First a bit of basic dog pychology: friendly behaviors include moving
side by side, sniffing butts, tails wagging at body level (not up high
or over the back). Not-friendly behaviors include meeting
face-to-face, esp. a face-to-face approach, ears forward and tail over
back.

Force them into friendly behaviors as follows: walk the dogs in
parallel on leash. They should be close enough to see each other but
not close enough to snap at or touch each other. Be careful when you
two turn that the dogs don't tangle. Make sure one doesn't get ahead
of the other: keep them parallel. Keep this up until they relax.
Slowly start walking closer together as behavior permits.

Hold one dog on leash in a sit. Have food treats and a water bottle
handy. Walk the other dog toward it, to about six feet, then turn away
(increase the distance if the sitting dog snarls). The idea is to turn
away *before* the sitting dog shows any aggression. If the dog shows
no agression, reward it with a food tidbit or verbal praise. Do NOT
touch the dog (stand on the leash or tie it down). If it does growl,
spray it with water. Switch the dogs so that each experiences sitting
or walking toward. They are learning that good things happen without
defensive behavior. As they improve, start walking a bit closer before
turning. If the sitting dog snarls, do NOT turn the other dog away:
the person with the sitting dog should correct it and when the dog
subsides, THEN the moving dog should turn away.

Finally, holding the head of one dog, but allowing it to stand, have
the other dog investigate its rear briefly. This is really the extreme
extension of the above.

These exercises have several purposes. One is to force the dogs to
consider themselves friendly by engaging in the behavior of friendly
dogs. The other is to teach both dogs that an approaching dog is not
necessarily grounds for aggression.

This will take a lot of work, probably over a couple of months, but
they will work, and what's more, should reduce tensions with other
dogs as well (i.e., not only between the two specific dogs in the
exercises).
_________________________________________________________________

Housetraining Problems

All housetraining problems are frustrating, but the good news is that
it's often easy to fix with a little thought and care. Some tips:

SUDDEN CHANGES IN ESTABLISHED HABITS

If your dog has been fine with its housetraining up till now, there
may be several reasons for it to break with its training.
* If there have been no major changes in its life, your dog may very
well have a medical problem, such as kidney trouble. Have your vet
rule out possible medical causes.
* It may be trying to defend its territory if you have a new animal
in the household. You will probably need to separate the pets for
a while, and reintroduce them gradually. Provide each with a
retreat area.
* It may be generally upset or anxious if you've just moved and
trying to assert ownership of the new territory. Mark your
territory first: scatter dirty laundry around the house to tell
your dog YOU'VE claimed the territory and your dog should subside.
After a few days, you can pick up the laundry.

EATING FECES

Some dogs will eat other animal's feces. By and large, this is a
fairly normal, if disgusting, habit. The main risk of this habit lies
in picking up internal parasites. If you have such a dog, you should
make sure it is frequently checked for worms by your veterinarian.

If it is cat feces in an indoor litter box, you can try the following:
* If you have a utility closet or some other closet where you can
keep the litter box, you can fix the door so that it only opens
enough for a cat to get through (assuming big dogs) by using
something like a string/ribbon/rope over the door handle to a
small hook on the adjacent wall or door jamb. If you can make a
more permanent change, you could put a kitty door into the closet
and be able to keep the door shut.
* Get the kind of litter box with a big top and a "kitty door" or
even just an opening on it. Place the litter box with the opening
about 4"-6" from a wall (backwards from the way you would normally
think of placing it). This leaves just enough room for the cat to
get into the box but not (usually) enough room for the dog to get
to the box. The kind of box with the swinging kitty door helps
make it a little harder for the dog to get into it.

A surprising number of dogs eat their own feces (coprophagy). This is
a fairly disgusting habit, but difficult to cure. One way to prevent
this from occurring is to clean up feces as soon as possible, but this
can be difficult for dogs left in yards or kennels all day.

The Monks suggest feeding your dog a dry food that is at least 23%
meat protein, and about 25% raw meat. In addition, either an egg, or a
tablespoon of vegetable oil every few days. They also think that
eating feces may involve a dietary deficiency. Adding Accent
(monosodium glutamate) or kelp tablets (usually available at health
food stores) to your dogs food can give the feces a bad taste for the
dog. Also putting tabasco and vinegar on the feces themselves may
work.

This is a difficult problem and not always solved or stopped. It
doesn't really hurt the animal, although you should take care to have
it checked often for internal parasites, which it's more likely to
pick up.

URINATION

If it is a change in your dog's normal behavior, it might be a
bladder infection or some other medical problem, so check that with
your vet first.

It's rather common for older spayed bitches to start dribbling. This
is easily fixed most of the time with doses of estrogen. In many
cases, the doses can be tapered off after a few months. Some dogs
require estrogen for the rest of their lives. Only small doses are
needed, so it's not that expensive to treat.

If your dog is urinating in different places around the house, you can
try the "vinegar trick". Pour some vinegar on the spot in front of the
dog. What you're telling the dog with this is "I'm alpha. YOU may not
pee here." Then clean it all up first with an enzymatic odor remover
and then a good carpet shampoo (see the Assorted Topics FAQ).

DEFECATION

Defecation is not as frequently a problem as urination can be.
However, the most often recommended remedy for a dog that defecates in
the house is to change its feeding times so that you are likely to be
walking the dog when it needs to defecate or it is outside in the
yard, etc. This will take some time of fiddling with the amount,
frequency, and timing of feeding your dog to get the results you want.

_________________________________________________________________

Submissive Urination

The genetically shy dog is a super submissive type and unlike many
dogs are quite sensitive to any forms of "dominant" behavior in
humans. Even ordinarily submissive dogs can become extremely
submissive if its owner misunderstands and unintentionally forces it
to increase its submissiveness. Mistreated dogs may also become
excessively submissive.

First, tone down your aggressive behavior -- with a submissive dog
there is no real need to consciously dominate it. Examples of
dominating behavior include:
* Direct eye contact
* Standing over the dog
* Walking towards the dog while looking at it

Tips:
* Wait when you come home. Say "hi" and be verbally friendly, but
don't touch or pet it for about 5-15 minutes. Try not to make the
moment more exciting than it already is.
* When you greet it, get down on its level. Rather than standing and
bending at the waist, bend at the knees (or sit) so that your face
is about level with his and you are not looking down on him. This
is a less dominant position, and less likely to trigger a
submissive posture.
* Don't pet it on the head. Rather, tell it to sit, maybe "shake
hands", then scratch it under the chin and on the chest. This is
less dominating than the pat on the head (because you avoid
standing over it).
* When you correct this type of dog, do so with your voice only
(avoid direct eye contact). If it starts to urinate, then say
immediately, "OK, let's go out!" in a happy tone of voice -- and
take it out. Or, take a toy out (something it likes to do) and
play with it. What you are doing here is telling your dog, "OK, I
see your submissiveness. That's good."
* When guests come over, ask them to ignore your dog and not look at
it even if it comes up and sniffs them. After a bit, when people
are sitting down then have them gently put their hands out and
talk to your dog, without looking at it. Usually after about 15
minutes or so everything is fine.

In general, show signs of low-key approval immediately when the dog
becomes submissive. Then distract it with something else. When you
ignore submissiveness or get mad at it, you're in effect telling the
dog "You're not submissive enough!" so the poor thing intensifies its
efforts -- and submissive urination is about as submissive as it gets.


Be really positive with your dog, this type lacks self-confidence and
will look to you quite often to make sure everything is OK.

One technique that helps many dogs with this problem is called
"Flooding." You need a group of people, preferably ones who will
stimulate the undesired response (in this case, peeing). You find the
least intimidating step for your dog (the point at which she does not
submissively urinate), and work on each step until she's comfortable
with each. If she urinates, you've gone too fast and you should back
up a step until she's more confident. This process will take a while.
* Have your dog sit with you on leash (preferably not on carpeting!)
* Have the group of people walk past your dog without looking at
her; when they can do this without her peeing, move on to next
step (this is true of all steps)
* Next have the people look/smile at her when they walk past
* Next have the people say something to her ("Hi puppy") as they
walk past
* Next have the people give her a treat as they walk past
* Next have the people touch her (ex. pat on the head) as they walk
past
* Next, repeat the previous 5 steps but with the people stopping
instead of walking past (ie, stop but don't look, stop and look,
stop and say hi,...)

Actually, this technique can be used for all kinds of other responses:
a dog that jumps on people, barks at them, etc.
_________________________________________________________________

Other Common Problems

CHEWING

Many puppies like to chew on everything they encounter. Certainly,
very young puppies explore the world around them by tasting most of
what they find. First of all, as a practical measure, remove anything
harmful from the dog's way. Put electrical wiring behind furniture
wherever possible, put cleaning supplies up out of reach or secure the
cabinet doors to them. Clean small objects off the floor.

Make sure you have a supply of allowable chewing items on hand.
Whenever the dog is in a crate or small room, there should always be
some of these toys to chew on. Whenever you are at home and see the
dog about to chew on something it shouldn't, say "AH-AH" and give it
one of its toys.

There are products available to spray on items to make them taste
unpleasant. Some caveats: a few dogs are not bothered by the taste;
it's not really a cure for the underlying problem, but it does help
you train the dog; you must make sure the product does not harm the
item to be sprayed first. Bitter Apple and Bitter Orange are available
at most pet supply stores; veterinarians have other formulations they
may sell to you.

The judicious use of crating, toys, and watching the puppy closely
will be the way you teach it to leave your house alone.

BITING

It is natural for young puppies to bite and chew on people; however
DON'T let them do this.

If your dog is a puppy, yelp pitifully when it chomps on you, and
replace your hand with a chew toy; praise heartily when the chew toy
is used instead. If it persists, stand up and stop playing with it. It
is no fun for the puppy if you stop interacting with it, and it will
learn to stop chewing on you fairly quickly.

With older puppies and dogs, say "NO BITE" sternly and withdraw your
hand.

If the dog goes through a cycle where it seems to be infuriated by
your correction and returns ever more aggressively to chew on you,
call a timeout and put the dog where it can't get to you, preferably
its crate. When it calms down, let it back and be prepared to
interrupt the cycle if it starts again.

Never put up with a puppy biting or mouthing you. When they are adult,
the problem will be far more severe.

FEAR-BITING

This is a separate problem, caused by a fearful and submissive dog
that feels cornered. It indicates an extremely poor temperament and
possible abuse. Such dogs should never be bred.

To deal with a fear-biter (evidenced by a dog that bites/threatens to
bite but has its ears laid back along its head rather than facing
forward), first you have to deal with the insecurity and temperament
of the dog. This kind of dog has no self-confidence at all, hence its
ready alarm at normally innocuous situations.

Think of the submissive dog outlined above. You need to build up its
confidence: pay close attention to understand exactly what sets it off
(some are afraid of men, men with beards, people holding something in
their hand, small children, etc) and for now, remove that from its
environment. Do some training or other work with it to build up its
confidence (the training in this case becomes a vehicle for praising
the dog). Then work slowly on its fear.

You should really enlist professional help to deal with a fear biter
unless you are experienced with dogs. This kind of dog takes lots of
patience and careful reading and may never become trustworthy. If you
cannot resolve its problems, consider having it destroyed; don't pass
it along to someone else to become a problem for that person.

BARKING

Each and every time your dog barks, go out and see why the dog is
barking. If your dog is barking for a good reason (such as a stranger
in the yard), you should praise your dog and then tell it to be quiet.
If the dog is barking because there is a squirrel up the tree, or
something similar, tell the dog to be quiet and immediately go back
into the house. You will have to repeat this every time the dog barks.
Pretty soon, in a week or so depending on the dog, the dog will only
bark for a good reason. The dog may still bark at the squirrel, but
not continually. Instead, one or two good barks to scare the squirrel,
and then it considers its duty done. At the same time, you have not
dampened your dogs ability to bark when there is something wrong.

Dealing with complaints about barking. If your neighbors complain
about your dog barking while you are not at home, first purchase a
voice-activated tape recorder and set it up where your dog will
trigger the tape if it barks. You may find that your neighbor is
incorrect about how much your dog actually does bark (keep a log of
the barking you record). You may find out what exactly causes it to
bark (hearing a car drive by before each barking sequence, for
example), giving you some ideas for eliminating the behavior. But do
determine that there is actually a problem before you try to do
something about it.

If you know that you have a problem, you might enlist the help of your
neighbors. Neighbors are often happy to help you with this problem!
Have them squirt water at excessive barking, or rattle cans of
pennies/rocks, etc.

In any event, take a neighbor's complaint seriously, even if it is
unwarranted. More neighbor disputes arise over barking dogs than
anything else, and dogs have been injured or killed by neighbors
desperate for a good nights sleep.

There is some evidence that barking is an inherited trait: if the
parents bark a lot, chances are their puppies will, too.

Often, one method that helps alleviate barking is to give your dog
specific permission to bark. Teach it to "speak" -- let it "speak"
when appropriate (say, when you're playing in the park). Then "no
speak" follows from that. However, there is often a problem when the
dog is alone. The following methods outline some other possibilities
to address this problem.

Collars

There are collars, called anti-bark collars, available that are meant
to help train your dog not to bark. Dogs will react differently,
depending on how well they learn, train, and handle. The collars by
themselves are not the solution to your dog's barking: it must
understand what the collar does, and you will have to *train* it using
the collar. Some are electronic and others are sonic. These can be
quite effective if introduced properly. Ideally the dog should not
understand that it is the collar giving the correction so that you can
ultimately wean the dog off the collar. Read the instructions on the
devices; the good ones will outline exactly how to train them.

There are two types, one will eliminate the barking -- that is, they
are triggered by any barking the dog does. Others are "diminishers",
they will kick in after one or two barks. There are a few that adjust
to be one or the other. With diminisher collars, watch out for the dog
learning to "pattern bark" -- they've learned they can bark twice,
pause, bark twice, etc. You will need to switch to an eliminator in
this case.

The best collars are triggered by throat vibration rather than noise;
this helps avoid having your dog corrected when a nearby car
backfires!

Debarking

Surgery on the dog's vocal cords, called debarking, can be done to
reduce the barking to a whispery sound. This is a controversial
practice, banned in Britain and other places. Some vets will refuse to
do the surgery.

The dogs do not stop barking. They do not seem to notice the
difference, or at any rate continue "barking" as if they still made
the noise.

There are different ways to perform the surgery, and it is possible
for the vocal cords to grow back and the dog to regain its bark. If
the vocal cords are cut, chances are the cords will heal themselves.
If they are cauterized, the operation will last longer. Whether it is
over a period of weeks or months, it seems that many dogs eventually
regain use of their vocal cords.

Muzzles

There is a "No-Bark Muzzle" that is designed to prevent dogs from
barking. Many dogs very rapidly learn not to bark when the muzzle is
put on them each time they start barking. It is not binding or
confining and does not put the dog through surgery. In general, though
dogs should not be left alone with muzzles on, unless it allows them
to drink.

DIGGING

Dogs may dig out of boredom or to make a cooling/heating pit.

Some approaches:
* Filling in the holes: Try refilling the holes with junk. With
junk, dogs can quickly lose interest and pretty much stop digging.
Fill the hole with whatever is at hand - dead leaves, sticks, pine
needles, rocks or even dog feces. Fill the top 2 inches or so with
dirt. The dog finds the stuff, gets discouraged and often quits
digging. They seem to get the idea they'll never know where
they'll find junk, and it's not worth the effort to dig only to
find junk so they quit.

* Surprises in the hole: The Koehler dog method advocates filling
holes with water and sticking dog's head under the water for a few
seconds or so. This may not work with some breeds (e.g.,
Labradors), and may not appeal to you as a method to try.
Alternatively, you can try burying a water balloon in one of the
holes which will pop in its face when it starts digging
(surprise).

* A sandbox: Try to remember that digging is a natural tendency for
dogs. So, if there is any place where your dog may be allowed to
dig, you should encourage it (and only in that place). Designate
an area where the dog can dig. Many people build a sand box for
their dog. Place the box in an area that is cool in summer and
warm in winter.

To teach the dog to dig only in the box, place or bury toys or
treats (sliced hotdogs, for example) in the box. Encourage the dog
to dig up the toy or treat. Praise the dog. Repeat until the dog
willingly jumps in and digs. Watch the dog. When it starts to dig
in any other place, quickly go out and take your dog to its box.
Show it (by digging yourself), that it should dig in its box. To
deter boredom, place several toys/treats in the box before you
leave for work. The dog will spend its time digging in the correct
place rather than digging up your roses. You can also sprinkle
animal essence (available at hunting supplies places).

Remember that dogs like to dig in freshly turned earth. So get out
that shovel and turn the dirt over in the sand box every now and
then. Toss in some fresh dirt. Keep a close eye on freshly planted
areas, as they will be very attractive (bury some extra hotdogs in
the sandbox when you are putting down new plants).

* Line the yard. for extreme cases you can line the yard with
chicken wire and put a layer of sod over that. Use paving bricks
or blocks around the edge to prevent the dog from injuring itself
on the edge of the chicken wire.

GETTING IN THE GARBAGE

You should train your dog away from this habit. Crate it, to keep it
out of the garbage when you are not home, and correct it when it gets
into it when you are at home. This works best if you start in
puppyhood.

If you already have this problem, some approaches to try:
* You can get "Mr. Yuk" labels and put them in the trash to keep
them out of it or spray Bitter Apple into it. But you have to
remember to do this regularly. If you can, put the trash out of
reach of the dog, eg, under the sink. You may need to get the
kinds of trash cans that have closing lids. Don't start easy and
work your way up as the dog figures each one out: you are just
training your dog how to open garbage cans. Get a good, well
secured one at the start.

* Get some jalapeno peppers, or something that your dog REALLY
HATES. Slice them up and spend some time wrapping each one
individually in tissues or kleenex. Fill the trash can with the
wrapped surprises and let your dog at it. A few days of this
should convince your dog that trash cans are not fun.

* Put a mousetrap in the bottom of an empty can, cover it with
newspaper, then put something that the dog really likes in the can
and leave the room. Only do this when you are around, do not trap
all the trash cans and then go off to work for the day!

JUMPING

Since most dogs are shorter than you, their natural tendency is to
jump up to see you. It is also an expression of exuberance and
happiness. However, you may be wearing your Sunday Best. The dog's
paws may be muddy. The puppy may grow too large. Some people are
afraid of dogs. Train your dog not to jump on people. If you don't
mind your dog jumping on you, then train it to jump on you only when
it's "OK".

In general, correct it immediately when it jumps on you, praise it
when all four paws land back on ground. A helpful reinforcement is to
give them a command and praise lavishly when they do it, e.g., "No!
Brownie, sit! Good girl, what a good girl!"

Try to anticipate the jumping: look for their hindquarters beginning
to crouch down, and correct them when you see them *about* to jump.
With medium-sized dogs, you can discourage jumping with a well-timed
knee in the chest (never kick). This does not work as well on small
dogs and very large dogs. With small dogs, step back so they miss you;
you can also splay your hand in front of you so their face bumps into
it (don't hit them, let them bump into you). Correct, then praise when
on ground. With larger dogs, the kind that don't really *jump*, but
*place* their paws on your shoulders, grab some skin below their ears
(be firm but not rough) and pull them down, saying "No!" Again, praise
it when it is back on ground.

You should note that some dogs do not respond to the above physical
corrections. They may view it as a form of rough play, or be so happy
to get attention that they don't mind it being negative. In these
cases, a much more effective approach is to ignore such a dog,
stepping back slightly or turning your back when it jumps. Give lavish
praise and attention when all paws are on the ground again.

Gradually expand this to include friends and visitors. Start first
with people who understand what you want to do and will apply the
physical correction in conjunction with your "No!" As the dog
improves, expand with other people. In the interim, a reinforcing
exercise is to put your dog on a leash, and stand on one end of the
leash or otherwise secure it so your dog can stand but not jump. When
it tries to greet someone by jumping up, praise it *when it lands* and
don't correct it for attempting to jump.

For those of you who don't mind being jumped, you can gain control
over it by teaching your dog that it can jump on you -- when you OK
it. At random times (i.e., not *every* time you correct it), after
your correction and praise for getting back down, wait thirty seconds
or so, and then happily say "OK, jump" (or something similar, as long
as you're consistent) and praise your dog when it jumps up then. At
other times, when it is *not* trying to jump on you, encourage it to
do so on your permission, using the same phrase. You must make it
clear that it shouldn't jump on you unless you give it permission, so
you must still correct unpermitted jumping.

CAR CHASING

This is symptomatic of a larger problem: why is your dog free to run
after cars in the first place? If the dog is being allowed to roam
that should be stopped. A car chasing dog is a menace to itself as it
may get killed, and is a menace to drivers as people may injure or
kill themselves trying to avoid an accident.

Have a few friends drive by (slowly) in a strange car. When the dog
gets in range, open the window and dump a bucket of ice cold water on
the animal's head/back. Repeat as needed (with a different car) for
reinforcement.

TUG OF WAR

The Monks (and former Monk, Job Michael Evans) seem to believe that
playing tug is a form of "teaching" the dog to use its teeth, and
therefore a precursor to the dog's learning to use its teeth as a
weapon. In their view, you should never play tug with a dog. On the
other hand, there are many people and organizations, especially in
obedience and working dogs (patrol, narcotic, and search and rescue)
that actively use tug of war as a reward and a way to build up a
strong play response. People with hunting retrievers never play tug of
war for fear of creating a "hard mouthed" dog (one that mangles the
birds it retrieves).

Dealing with the possible aggression incurred in tug of war is
probably more constructive than never teaching your dog to use its
teeth. Besides, studies on canine aggression show that even extremely
docile dogs can be provoked to show aggression. Houpt and Wolski in
their book _Domestic Animal Behavior for Veterinarians and Animal
Scientists_ note: "Growling is an aggressive call in dogs, and is
commonly known. It is interesting evolutionarily that even the most
placid dog can be induced to growl if one threatens to take a bone
away from it. A scarcity of food in general can increase aggression
..., but bones seem to have particular value even for the satiated
dog."

This can hinge on whether you (as the owner) can distinguish between
challenges and playing. If the dog is playing when doing TOW, there's
no problem. If it *is* challenging you doing this, you need to 1)
recognize the challenge (versus just playing) 2) win and 3) stop the
TOW and correct its challenge to your authority. If you can't make the
distinction, then don't play tug-of-war with it. Couple any tug-o-war
games with the command "Give" or something similar so that the dog
learns to immediately let go ON COMMAND. If it doesn't, that's a
challenge, and you need to deal with it. Teach your dog what "give"
when you start playing this game with it. When you know that your dog
understands the command, then periodically reinforce it by having your
dog "give" at random times. This becomes a form of keeping your alpha
position as mentioned earlier in this article. And tug of war,
properly implemented, is an intensely rewarding game for many dogs,
making a good "treat" during training sessions, for example.

PEOPLE FOOD

Feeding your dog "people food," i.e., table scraps and such is a poor
idea. First, you may encourage your dog to make a pest of itself when
you are eating. Second, feeding a dog table scraps is likely to add
unneeded calories to its diet and your dog may become overweight.
Third, if your dog develops the habit of gulping down any food it can
get, it may seriously poison or distress itself someday.

Some guidelines. Do not feed the dog anything but dog food and dog
treats. You might add vegetable oil or linatone to the food to improve
its coat. There are other foods that you may want to add to improve
its diet such as vegetables, rice, oatmeal, etc., (check with your vet
first for appropriate food to meet the dietary need you want to
address), but always feed them to the dog in its dish, never from your
plate or from your hand while you are eating.

Discourage your dog from begging at the table by tying it nearby (so
that it does not feel isolated from the social activity) but out of
reach of the table. After you finish eating, feed the dog. Tell your
dog "no" or "leave it" if it goes for anything edible on the floor (or
on the ground during walks!), praise it when it obeys you. Teach it
that the only food it should take should be from its dish or someone's
hand.

If you are concerned about the "boring and drab" diet for your dog,
don't think of food as a way to interest it! Play with it, take it out
on walks -- there are many other and better ways to make life exciting
for your dog.
_________________________________________________________________

Canine Behavior FAQ

[Cindy Tittle Moore]

Archive-name: dogs-faq/breeding

Last-modified: 16 Dec 1994

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to rtfm.mit.edu under pub/usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/faq-list, via
the Web at http://io.com/user/tittle/dogs-faq/lists/faq-list.html, or via
email by sending your message to mail-...@rtfm.mit.edu with
send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/faq-list
in the body of the message.
==========

BREEDING YOUR DOG

Table of Contents

* Should I Breed My Dog?
+ I want to make some money!
+ My kids should see the wonders of birth and life!
+ I want another dog just like mine!
+ Every bitch should have a litter!
+ But my dog is registered!
+ So I should breed when...?
* Potential Hereditary Problems
+ Eyes
+ Hip and joints
+ Other things to check for
* Medical Checks before Breeding
* Temperament
* Pedigree Research
* Frequency of Breeding
* Care of the Pregnant or Nursing Bitch
* Caring for the Puppies
+ Prewhelping preparations
+ Postwhelping
+ Placing the puppies
* Considerations for Stud Dogs
* Genetics
* References


_________________________________________________________________

Should I Breed My Dog?

You may be wondering whether or not you should breed your dog. Here is
some information. The summary is that if you want to do it right, and
get healthy and happy puppies, it is very expensive and a lot of work.


Remember that you are going to need a vet that is familiar with
whelping dogs. This will be your best resource, as well as any
long-time breeders that you know. Not all vets are knowlegeable about
whelping so be sure to ask around and especially look for
recommendations from local breeders that you may know.

I WANT TO MAKE SOME MONEY!

Breeding, and doing it right, is an expensive undertaking. By the time
you've picked out a good bitch, waited for her to grow old enough
(minimum age: two years before breeding), picked out the best dog to
mate her with, gone through all the health checks she needs, ensured
that the dog you want to use also passes the same health checks,
you've invested a lot of time and effort. You still have to pay a stud
fee (or give a puppy back), you have potential extra expenses during
pregnancy, you have the time and expense of whelping (either you take
time off from work or something goes wrong and you have to take her in
to the vets). You need to keep the puppies for a minimum of 8 weeks
before sending them to their homes; you need to advertise and find
good homes for the puppies, you need to make sure they have had their
shots before going. You may have possible vet bills if the puppies
require extra attention. If some of the puppies die, or you have a
smaller than usual litter, you may not get as much money from the sale
of the puppies as you had though. There are even potential problems
later on with dissatified customers! You are better off consulting
with a financial wizard about investing the money you would otherwise
spend and lose on breeding!

Breeders frequently count themselves lucky if they break even.

MY KIDS SHOULD SEE THE WONDERS OF BIRTH AND LIFE!

What if the whelping goes wrong and dead puppies are born? What if the
bitch dies? These are all very real risks that you are undertaking.
Much better alternatives include videotapes that are available. If
there are local 4-H clubs, those provide alternatives for children.

I WANT ANOTHER DOG JUST LIKE MINE!

If you want to breed your dog so as to get another dog like yours,
think about this for a moment. No matter how special your dog is to
you, a puppy out of it is not guaranteed to be just like or even
similar to your dog -- half its genes will be from another dog! You
will have to find another dog that also has the characteristics you
want in your puppy; that dog will have to be unneutered; and the owner
of that dog will have to be willing to breed her/his dog to yours. It
is much easier, often less expensive, and certainly less time
consuming to pick out an existing dog that you like from the shelter
or another breeder. Best yet, go back to the same breeder of your dog,
if possible, and pick another puppy out of similar lines.

EVERY BITCH SHOULD HAVE A LITTER!

This is flat out wrong. Bitches are not improved by having puppies.
They may undergo temporary temperament changes, but once the puppies
are gone, she'll be back to her old self. Nor is it somehow good for
her physically. In fact, you will put her at risk of mammary cancer
and pyometra. There is absolutely nothing wrong with spaying a bitch
without her having a litter.

BUT MY DOG IS REGISTERED!

Well, yes, but that doesn't mean a whole lot. A registered dog, be
it AKC, UKC, CKC, etc., simply means that it's parents (and their
parents) are also registered with the same registry. This confers no
merit in of itself, it simply means that the dog's parentage is known.


Most registries do not make any assertions of quality in the dogs they
register (except for some limited breed-only registrations, but these
are uncommon). They do not restrict the breeding of their dogs and
hence there is no guarantee that a registered dog is a good specimen
of its breed.

The AKC has just started a "limited registration" program whereby
puppies out of such dogs are ineligible for registration. It remains
to be seen what the overall impact on AKC dog breeds will be. Other
registries have used similar programs with good results.

SO I SHOULD BREED WHEN...?

The only reason you should be breeding is that you honestly feel
that you are improving your breed by doing so. There are far too many
dogs in the country to breed without good reason. A dog in a breeding
program must be one whose genetic history you or its breeder is
intimately familiar with. Such a dog must represent the best efforts
of its breeder at that point. Such a dog must have good points to
contribute, whether that is in good conformation, good performance or
whatever. Such a dog must have some evidence of external evaluation.
That is, others besides the breeder or the owner must also think that
the dog is a good representive of its breed. That usually translates
into titles, whether for conformation, obedience, field, herding, or
whatever is appropriate for that breed. Such a dog must be tested as
it matures for any problems that tend to appear in its breed, whether
that is hip dysplasia, patellar luxation, von Willebrand's, cataracts,
PRA, fanconi syndrome, subaortic stenosis, etc.
_________________________________________________________________

Potential Hereditary Problems

Every breed has a different set of potential problems for it. I have
listed common ones below, but this is not to say that all dogs must be
checked for everything listed. You need to do research in your breed
to find out what the common problems are. You will also need to
research the particular bloodlines you are using to see if they are
prone to any additional problems you want to know about and screen for
as well.

EYES

Most breeds require eye checks of some sort, for a variety of
problems. These include, but are not limited to problems such as
* Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA). This disease eventually causes
total blindness. In some breeds the onset is quick, before the dog
is two or three. In others, the onset is much later, when the dog
is four to eight years old (and may have already been bred). Irish
Setters have a test available that can detect carriers and
affected dogs; other breeds do not have this recourse. It appears
to be a simple autosonomal recessive, but the late onset
complicates breeding programs. If a dog is affected, then both
parents are either carriers or also affected.
* Retinal Dysplasia. Causes eventual blindness. This is believed to
be hereditary. Some dogs can be detected with this condition in
puppy hood, but carriers cannot be identified until they produce
such puppies.
* Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA). This affects the collie breeds (bearded,
border, rough, smooth) as well as some closely related ones. This
condition also causes eventual blindness and is inherited.
* Cataracts. There are many forms and causes for cataracts, but some
forms, such as juvenile cataracts, are inherited and such dogs
should not be bred.
* Entropion, Ectropion: These are conditions in which the eyelids
turn in or out, causing various problems and often pain for the
dog.

The Canine Eye Registry Foundation (CERF) in the USA registers dogs
that are found to be clear of eye problems by a board certified (AVCO)
veterinarian. Dogs need to be cleared yearly as there are some types
of eye problems that show up later in life.

HIP AND JOINTS

There are a variety of joint problems found in most breeds. Toy breeds
can have joint problems too; just because your breed is smaller
doesn't mean you can figure you are free of hip dysplasia and be done
with it. There are several problems that specifically affect smaller
dogs!
* Hip dysplasia is probably the best known problem. This is a
malformation or deterioration of the hip joint, so that the socket
it sits in is too shallow to secure the head of the femur. As the
condition progresses, arthritic changes begin to destroy the
protective cartilage and the dog may experience severe pain if the
condition is bad enough. Some dogs are asymptomatic, but still
should not be bred. This condition primarily affects the
medium-to-large breeds, but smaller breeds have been known to be
affected, for example Cocker Spaniels and Shetland Sheepdogs can
have this problem. To make sure your dog is free of hip dysplasia,
you need to have the hips radiographed and then obtain an expert
analysis of the xrays. Your vet isn't necessarily the one to do
this! In the US, you would mail the xrays to the Orthopedic
Foundation of Animals and wait several weeks for their evaluation.
In Canada, Europe and Britain, there are equivalent programs, but
all differ in the type of certification and age at which they will
certify; some organizations certify after one year of age, others
certify after two years of age.
* Osteochondrosis Dessicans (OCD) is an elbow joint problem. A bone
spur or a flake wears away at the joint which becomes stiff and
painful. Xray evaluations of these joints are also needed. Many
breeds that are prone to hip dysplasia may also have OCD.
* Patellar Luxation is a problem affecting the kneecaps. Smaller
dogs are more prone to this problem than larger ones are. The
kneecap will slide out of place and lock the leg straight.
Diagnosis is fairly straightforward and surgery can correct the
problem, but no dog with patellar luxation should be bred as this
is also an hereditary condition.

There are a few other types of problems, affecting other joints like
the hocks, or affecting the spine, that you should be aware of in some
breeds. This is only an overview to give you an idea of what kinds of
problems are out there. Remember that joint problems, even if not
hereditary, may make it problematic for a bitch to be bred. Pregnancy
is hard on the joints and on the body in general and if she isn't in
the best of physical health, it is much kinder not to breed her.

OTHER THINGS TO CHECK FOR
* In some breeds, deafness is a potential problem. Puppies at risk
should be BAER tested and any that fail should be neutered.
* Heart conditions in many breeds must be checked for. Subaortic
stenosis (SAS), other malformations of the heart or valves.
* Hemophilia type of problems, e.g., von Willebrand's disease and
others.
* Malabsorptive syndromes, digestive problems.
* Epilepsy.
* Allergies.
* Incorrect temperament for breed.

Finally, remember that not only the potential dam but also the sire
must be checked for all the things appropriate for their breed and
particular bloodlines.
_________________________________________________________________

Medical Checks before Breeding

You must make sure the bitch and the stud both are free from
brucellosis before breeding them. Brucellosis causes eventual
sterility in both sexes (sometimes non-obviously) and can cause a
litter of puppies to be aborted or die shortly after birth. In
addition, brucellosis is on occasion transmissible to humans via the
urine or feces of an affected dog. Between dogs, it is most commonly
passed in sexual intercourse, although an entire kennel can be
infected through contact with secretions.

The sire should be in excellent general health. The dam must be in
good health, to withstand the stresses and rigors of a pregnancy. They
must both be up to date on their vaccinations.
_________________________________________________________________

Temperament

Never breed any animal that has temperament problems. In particular,
this has been the cause of the degeneration of many breed's general
temperament: Doberman Pinschers, Rottweilers, and so on. If your
animal is untrustworthy around people, overly aggressive to people,
excitable, or is a fear-biter, do not breed it. If it is shy or
submissive, don't breed it. Look for happy, confident and obedient
animals, and consider carefully the particular temperament
requirements for your dog's breed.

There are a variety of tests to indicate a dog's temperament. Many of
the working breeds have a temperament test (for example, the
Doberman's WAC test) for their breed. AKC has a Canine Good Citizen
test (open to all dogs) that gives some indication of the dog's
temperament (and, yes, training). Therapy Dogs International and other
Therapy Dog clubs have temperament testing that does try to separate
out actual temperament from training. Obedience titles can be (but are
not necessarily) an indication of good temperament.
_________________________________________________________________

Pedigree Research

You must carefully consider each dog's pedigree for compatibility. Try
to select strengths to offset weaknesses. Do not allow your bitch to
be bred to an unsuitable dog, and conversely, be picky about the
bitches you allow your dog to breed. This phase alone requires
considerable research to find a suitable candidate, and you should
definitely work closely with a knowledgeable person, ideally the
breeder of your dog. Simply because two dogs "look good" or even *are*
good does not mean that they necessarily complement each other:
suppose they are both carriers for the same disease? Suppose they both
have a tendency to overbites or other disqualifying faults?

Be honest with yourself. If your dog is not a good representation of
its breed, do not let it reproduce. It is much easier to improve a few
faults than to try and get excellent pups with a mediocre dog. Check
the breed standard for your dog and ask a knowledgeable person for
their evaluation of your dog.

We'll return the the importance of scrutinizing a pedigree in the
genetics section below.
_________________________________________________________________

Frequency of Breeding

Ideally, a bitch should only be bred every other year and she should
not be bred much before two years of age. The season closest to the
second birthday is a good one to start with; certainly no earlier than
this. In some breeds, you may need to wait one more season before
beginning. By this time, she is better prepared mentally for having
puppies than she would have been with her first few seasons. Her
physical growth is complete and pregnancy at this point won't endanger
her health, provided that she is healthy to begin with.

In breeds with Hip Dysplasia, many people wait until after two years
of age so that the parents can be certified; however if you have sent
in xrays to OFA for preliminary evaluation and they came back as fine,
many breeders consider it safe enough to then breed on the season
closest to the second year, which can wind up being before the bitch
is actually old enough to be certified. (And when the bitch is old
enough, she is, of course, duly certified.) But the preliminary xrays
must be examined by OFA, not by a local veterinarian. There are
many dysplastic dogs out there that had vets look at their xrays and
pronounce them "wonderful."

It's important, however, to keep the frequency of breeding low. Even
at maximum, you want to allow at least one unbred season between
breedings. This allows your bitch to rest and regain her strength. A
bitch that whelps too often will produce weaker puppies more likely to
die, and the repeated pregnancies are pretty rough on her, too.

For dogs, they should definitely have all their certifications
necessary. For many breeds this means that they should be over two
years old. Since a dog can be bred at any time, unlike bitches,
waiting for two years is not a problem, whereas a bitch often has a
season just before two years of age and then has to wait until 2.5 or
three which sometimes presents problems in trying to time her litters.
But this does not apply to a stud dog, so he should definitely have
all of his checks and certifications before being bred. Frequency is
not generally a problem although some dogs have problems with sperm
production if they breed once a day for several days. They need
top-quality feeding and care if they are going to be bred often.
_________________________________________________________________

Care of the Pregnant or Nursing Bitch

You should make sure the bitch is up-to-date on all her vaccinations,
medications, and shots before she is bred. She will require
supplementary food during the last three weeks or so of pregnancy. In
general, puppy food is formulated both for puppies and pregnant or
nursing bitches.

She should be under the care of a vet for any related problems. Dogs
can have miscarriages. Illnesses, diseases, or infestations that the
bitch picks up during her pregnancy can affect the puppies.
Difficulties during whelping are entirely possible, and the rule for
some breeds. You must be prepared to get her to the vet quickly in an
emergency.

There are instances of "mummy puppies" where you have a puppy whose
development went awry, but it was not aborted. Instead, it dries and
shrivels up, and when born, looks like a mummified puppy, blackened
and ready to rot. Overbreeding and inadequate care are usually the
causes. It is quite likely that the dam will come down with an
infected uterus after such a puppy. "Water puppies" are another type
of problem in which the dead puppy appears to have never properly
developed a skeleton and appears to be full of gelatin. This seems to
be linked to a viral exposure.

Other congenital (but not genetic) defects can include: no anus, cleft
palates and hare lips. These conditions require corrective surgery or
the puppy will die.

While the bitch is nursing the puppies, she will require about three
times the amount of food she normally eats! It is also common for
nursing mothers to go out of coat at this time.
_________________________________________________________________

Caring for the Puppies

PREWHELPING PREPARATIONS

You should have a sturdy, clean, proper sized whelping box for the
litter. It MUST include a "pig rail" around the edge to prevent the
bitch from laying on or smashing her pups. It should be big enought to
allow the bitch to turn around but small enough to prevent the pups
from being "lost" in the unused portions. About six inches longer than
she is, fore and aft, when laying prone (as in suckling her puppies)
and about a foot on either side length wise.

To get the whelping box ready for your bitch, get a sheet of plastic,
such as you would use for painting a ceiling to protect the floor. Cut
it up into several pieces the size of the whelping box. Put one piece
of plastic down, several layers of newspaper, another piece of
plastic, more layers of newspaper and so on for four or five layers.
Then when your bitch is whelping puppies, you can roll off a layer
when it gets messy -- and it will! -- and throw it away to instantly
clean the whelping box.

POSTWHELPING

After the puppies are born, there are many strategies for lining the
whelping box. Some people continue to use newspapers, but puppies get
pretty dirty from both newspaper print and feces. Other people have
had success with synthetic materials on top of absorbent materials:
the synthetic material provides secure footing, but the urine and
other liquids pass through it to leave it dry. Other people use pine
shavings (about six inches deep). You will do a lot of laundering to
keep things clean no matter what you use. You will also have to clean
the feces out of the whelping box after your bitch decides that's no
longer her job.

Newborn puppies MUST be kept warm. The temperature in the whelping box
at birth should be 90 F. The temperature can then be decreased 2
degrees every other day. NEVER FEED A CHILLED PUPPY!!! If a puppy
becomes chilled it will cry continually and it will tuck its tail
between its little legs. A healthy, happy, litter will "purr" like a
swarm of bees and when feeding their tails will be straight out from
their bodies. Warm any chilled puppy by putting the puppy under your
shirt and under your armpit. The best method of warming a puppy is to
use a special whelping box heating pad with a towel over it to prevent
soiling the pad. Make sure the temerature does not go too high.
Heating lamps are ok but puppies can become dehydrated. If the litter
clumps together and cries, they are too cold; if they separate and try
to hide under shade, they are too hot.

Large litters will require supplemental feedings if you want all the
puppies to survive. Your bitch may not be able to care for a very
large litter. You will need to get the pups rotating on shifts. For
the first two weeks you may have to supplement as much as every four
hours. Use a good prepared milk-supplement especially formulated for
puppies. If you get in a bind you can use a goat-milk reciepe avilable
in most books about breeding and whelping pups. You may have to tube
feed those pups that will not suckle from a bottle!

Are you going to remove the dewclaws or dock a tail? This must be done
by 3 days old at the latest! Any later will not heal as nicely or
quickly!

If you have a purebred litter, you must record the date of birth and
all of the pups (including the dead ones) in your record book. Then
you will need to fill out and send in your litter registration form.
You want to do this as soon as possible, since many registries can
take up to 6 weeks to return the forms for individual registration to
you (which you will want to give to your puppy buyers later).

You will have to keep the whelping box clean. For the first two weeks
the bitch will keep the pups pretty clean, but the bedding should be
changed twice a day at minimum. Starting week three, the pups start to
eliminate some on their own.. then you will need to clean much more
often!

At four weeks, the pups usually become very active and it this time
may require a larger area then the welping box...you will need a large
ex-pen or some way of confining them safely. You do have a place to
keep them that they are safe in and can't destroy? Puppies at this
stage can devastate a room or garage in hours.

At week five you will probably want to introduce the pups to weaning
food. Usually you will have to mush up the dry puppy food for the pups
to be able to eat it. Use warm water and let the food stand in a bowl
for about 2 hours.

At week six you should vaccination and worm the pups, and have them
checked for heartmurmers, hernias, males for testicles (yes you should
be able to feel them at 6 weeks!), deafness, and eye problems.

You should be socializing now too... And are you going to do any puppy
testing for temperaments? At seven weeks you should be calling up
those poeple with deposits on your pups and getting your paper work
all sorted out. Are your spay/neuter contracts ready? How about
pictures of the pups for your clients?

And this is just if everything goes perfectly! What happens if one of
the pups has a heart murmer, or a hernia? What about a deaf puppy?
What if your whole litter gets parvo or distemper? What happens if one
of the pups is affected with "swimmer-puppy" syndrome? What about
fading-puppy syndrome? What happens if your bitch gets an infection or
mastitis? What if she dies?

PLACING THE PUPPIES

After the puppies are born, if not before, you must consider placing
your puppies. Time and time again, people breed a litter because
friends and family want one of their dog's puppies -- and then none of
them will take one.

At six weeks is when even seasoned breeders wonder why they do this. A
healthy active litter of six will run you ragged at this age. They are
so curious, they want to explore everywhere, and they are at the prime
age for socialization and exposure to many things that you, as a
responsible breeder, want to give them a head start on.

At eight weeks, you may begin placing those pups that are ready to go
to their new homes. Insecure pups may need more time, how are those
puppy tests coming? You can't place puppies earlier than 7.5 weeks or
so (no matter how much you may want to).

Are you prepared to do some legwork to find GOOD homes for them, not
just hand them off to the first person who comes by? You are aware
that you won't always be able to sell all of your puppies locally,
aren't you? What assurances do you have that the puppies will not wind
up filling animal shelters, facing death because their parents were
thoughtlessly bred? Suppose you wind up keeping more of the litter
than you intended to? Suppose some of your puppies are returned? Can
you keep the extra puppies?
_________________________________________________________________

Considerations for Stud Dogs

First, remember that it is extremely difficult to come up with a top
quality stud dog that people want to use. After all, they will look
around and pick out the best male they can find. So your dog has to be
pretty impressive to be noticed in the competition.

Your male should be in top condition. He should be certified clear of
joint problems (and in many cases that means he has to be at least two
years old). His eyes should be checked annually. He should be clear of
any abnormalities common to his breed. No heart problems, no seizures,
no thyroid problems, etc. He should be clear of brucellosis. His
temperament should be good, and appropriate for his breed. If you have
such a dog, you will need to get your dog well known. This generally
involves showing your dog (in show, field, or obedience) and doing
other work with him. An unproven dog (that has no previous puppies or
only puppies too young to evaluate) will command a much lower stud dog
fee than a proven dog (with a record of puppies to examine).

You must be prepared to board the bitch. The common procedure is for
the bitch to be shipped out to stud, so you will need facilities to
board bitches in heat. These facilities should be adequate for up to a
week of boarding and to prevent any mismating. You might wind up with
more than one bitch at a time -- can you board them all safely?

You must monitor the mating and be ready to intervene if necessary.
Some breeds require intervention (such as Basset Hounds). Not all dogs
or bitches understand what to do, especially if it is the first time
for one or the other. It can be disastrous if two dogs are left alone
to mate. Additionally, if the mating doesn't take, are you prepared to
go through the whole thing again the next time the bitch comes into
season? Typical contracts call for free repeat breeding in the case
two or less puppies occur or the breeding doesn't take.

You need to be able to evalate the bitch's pedigree for compatibility
with your dog's. Any good points or bad points of the litter are
(rightly or not) attributed to the sire, so your dog's reputation is
at stake with each litter he sires. You should be reasonably confident
that the proposed breeding will result in good puppies.

If the owner of the bitch is a novice, are you prepared to assist with
advice on whelping and puppy care? These people will expect you to
have the answers. Sometimes entire litters of puppies are dumped on
the stud dog owner when the bitch's owners can no longer cope with
them because they didn't realize what a responsibility caring for a
litter involved. Are you ready to take care of and place your dog's
offspring if this should happen to you?

Are you prepared to deal with cases where you are certain your dog is
not the sire of the puppies but the bitch's owner insists that he is?
Or if the owner of the bitch insists that you must have allowed a
mismating to occur when she was boarded with you? Disputes of this
sort can become very ugly very quickly.
_________________________________________________________________

Genetics

If a purebred dog of breed X mated with a purebred dog of breed Y,
both meeting health standards for their breed, is there a better
chance the offspring would be healthier than a same breed mating
because the gene pool is larger?

In terms of health alone the first answer would be that in breeding
two healthy dogs it shouldn't matter if they're the same of
different breeds, you're apt to get healthy pups. But this doesn't
take into account the question of recessives. Suppose you breed two
dogs of different breeds that both have the same incidence of a
recessive health problem. The pups would have the same odds of
having that health problem as purebred pups of either breed. On the
other hand, suppose the two dogs were of breeds that have no
recessive health problems in common. This would reduce or eliminate
the odds of the puppies of having the health problems of either
breed. This is the classic explanation for the theory of first
generation hybrid vigor. The resulting pups should not be bred
though, since they'd have a good chance of having the recessives
from BOTH breeds, so the grandpups would be inclined to be worse off
than the purebred offspring of their grandparents. Another very
important point to keep in mind is that when a purebred carrying a
genetic defect is crossed with another breed or mixed breed, the
"bad" genes do NOT "go away" even though they may not be expressed
in the offspring. If crossed with another dog carrying the same
defect, the offspring of that breeding will demonstrate the
defect.

Purebred dogs have all these diseases, though! It seems that you
never hear about mixed breed dogs with problems.

Responsible breeders try to identify genetic diseases their dogs
might be carrying and to eliminate them by careful breeding. It is
ironic, though not surprising, that their efforts to identify and
weed out genetic problems have lead some to cry "look at all the
genetic diseases purebred dogs have!" A moment's careful thought
will lead you to the conclusion that mixed breeds carry the same
harmful genes (their parents, or their parents' parents, were
purebreds, after all). The differences are
* with some recessive disorders (though not all genetic defects)
the disease is less likely to be expressed (though it can still
be inherited by offspring)
* you have lesser likelihood of ever identifying or eliminating any
harmful genes your mixed breed may be carrying

Also, if you stop and think about it, many mixed breeds are simply
not tested for most problems. When they get older and limp, it's
just considered old age, although it could well be hip dysplasia.
When they get older and start to go blind, it could be PRA, but the
owners are unlikely to test for this. It's not that owners of mixed
breeds are bad, by any means, but they are not looking for possible
inheritable problems, either.

When you breed two different breeds together, what kind of variation
can you expect?

Pfaffenberger's book has some interesting data on this. He did some
experiments with four different breeds. They were dogs of
approximately the same size, but very different physical appearance
AND behavior. The results he saw in the first and in subsequent
mixed generations are pretty interesting.

Let's look at a common crossbreeding: "cockapoos" (which are not
purebred dogs, nor registered with any registry). These are crosses
between Cocker Spaniels and Minature or Toy Poodles. The dogs
actually vary quite a bit, some being more poodle like than others,
and some being more cocker like than others. However, they are
generally all a small sized, buff colored shaggy dog. If you breed
two cockapoos together (not generally done), you get an even wider
variation of dogs -- some look like Minature Poodles, others like
Cocker Spaniels. The reason for this is the recessive genes hidden
in the first cross that came out in the second generation. This is
actually a visual example of why "hybrid vigor" doesn't hold.

What is outcrossing?

Outcrossing is where the sire and dam are totally unrelated,
preferably for three or four generations. The true form of an
outcross is between two entirely different breeds because in reality
the members of most registered breeds come from a common ancestor
(althought it may be many, many generations back). It is very rare
for outcrossed puppies to be uniform in appearance. Usually there
are a very large ranges of sizes, coats, colors, markings, and other
distinctive characteristics. Outcrossed litters are generally
heterozygous, and do not reliably reproduce themselves, so even the
nicest puppy in the litter may not later produce the best puppies.

Outcrossing is generally used to introduce something new to a line
-- a better head, better colors, better front, etc. Usually the
puppies retained from these breedings are bred back into the
breeder's original line to standardize them back into the line's
general characteristics and reproducibility -- with the one desired
characteristic. The tricky part is that other characteristics may
come along for the ride!

If you are dedicated enough, you can eventually continue breeding by
outcrossing alone (but don't expect instant or quick results). You
should pick dogs that complement eachother well and are similar in
general appearance. This is a long hard road to eventually
developing a line. Through outcrossing, many health problems can
quickly be eliminated (or just as quickly added into your breeding),
but usually you do sacrifice some show quality and producibility.

You have to remember that dogs that appear totally healthy may be
carriers of genetic problems. To find this out, test mating is done
to a dog that is affected with the genetic problem (resulting
usually in puppies that are both affected and non-affected carriers)
or by inbreeding to a related dog that also doesn't show the signs
of being affected (usually littermates are used) this will usually
result in some puppies free of the problem, some puppies as
carriers, and some puppies affected if both dogs carry the problem
gene (this is not as accurate as breeding to an affected dog, but
you are less likely to have to put all the puppies down).

There are variations on outcrossing. A "true" outcross could be a
dog that has totally unrelated dogs bred together throughout the
pedigree. This is very rare. On the other hand, "linecrossing" is a
form of outcrossing where dogs from unrelated lines are bred to
produce a new line. The sire and dam are usually very linebred from
their prospective lines and the resulting puppies are varied in
appreance, some looking like the sire's line and some looking like
the dam's line and some looking like mixtures of both lines.

How about line breeding?

Line breeding is when the sire and the dam are distantly related:
e.g., grandsire to granddaughter, granddam to grandson, second
cousins, half cousins, uncle to niece, aunt to nephew..... The
general strategy is that there is a common ancestor that is being
doubled up on both sides. So the desired dog appears several times
in the pedigree.

This is probably the most common strategy in breeding purebred dogs
(and in developing new breeds, for that matter). Though this method,
new genes are slowly introduced and unwanted genes are slowly
replaced. The actual rate varies by how strongly you line breed. It
sacrifices little overall quality in terms of show quality. Usually
the puppies are rather close in general conformation. The only
problem with this method is that it often takes several generations
to get poor genes out, (or adding desired genes in) resulting in
many puppies that have the same genetic problems (or virtues) that
their parents have. And then because some breeders are more
interested in winning, they do not place the affected puppies on
spay/neuter contracts. This is both a blessing and a curse for the
breed. If the breeder is very careful, affected pups can be used
wisely to prevent loss of quality, but still remove the affected
genes by only breeding the affected pups to known non-carrier
relatives. This way the breeder can again try to "edit out" the bad
genes. It takes longer this way but less show quality is lost in the
process. This process results in dogs that will often reproduce
their same level of quality. This is refered to as reaching
homozygous litters (more genes of the same kind apparent in the
puppies).

Inbreeding and linebreeding really differ only in degree.
Linebreeding is less likely to cause harm than inbreeding.
Inbreeding is not for novices. Knowledge of genetics and the breed
is required for success. For good results it must be well-planned
and breeders must be ready for whatever problems it presents.

And inbreeding?

Inbreeding is where the sire and the dam are closely related: mother
to son, father to daughter, sister to brother, half sister to half
brother, cousin to cousin. People disgree about the exact point at
which inbreeding becomes linebreeding. Inbreeding is the quickest
way to find out what poor genes are in the line and what dominant
characteristics are in the line.

Although many people are disgusted with the idea of this family
incest, it is an extremely useful tool for diagnosing what genes are
present. If the genes for bad eyes are present, but hidden or
resessive, this will bring them out to their full extent. If there
isn't any bad genes, then the puppies will be of very close
uniformity and very able to reproduce themselves (theroretically).
This is a homozygous breeding. The resulting puppies will have a lot
of genetic material that is the same as their parents and
grandparents and will be close genetically to each other.

Inbreeding doesn't introduce new genes and does not eliminate bad
genes that the line already has. It only shifts them around like a
rubix cube. This often results in litters with high show potential,
if the quality was high to begin with. It shows you what recessives
you have lurking in the dogs' backgrounds -- both good and bad.
But there are drawbacks. Besides the possibility of bad recessives,
inbreeding exclusively will eventually lead to infertility. It's
like a xerox machine. After so many copies, you have to renew the
ink. The same with dogs, you have to introduce new genes. No
reputable breeder will use inbreeding exclusively, and many breeders
simply never use it. Usually, you will only find: very experienced
breeders, ignorant breeders, and puppy mills making use of this
technique.

Inbreeding increases the chance that a gene obtained from the sire
will match one obtained from the dam, both stemming from the common
ancestor(s) on which the individual was inbred. Thus, inbreeding
tends to make animals homozygous rather than heterozygous. The
inbreeding coefficient measures the resulting increase in
homozygousity. All breeds have a given degree of homozygosity the
mating of two dogs from the same breed would not produce a
recognizable specimen of the breed!

Inbreeding increases homozygosity and decrease heterozygosity. So it
can duplicate both desirable and harmful alleles, both of which can
be unsuspected in the line, and may appear. Inbreeding does NOT
create anomalies, it brings present anomalies to the surface. Even
when the anomalies are present, inbreeding might not reveal them.
However, once revealed, then the breeder can do something about them
in the next generations of breeding.

An increase in harmful recessives is undesirable but it is not a
major drawback if they are identified early. The effect of
inbreeding on major polygenic traits is greater. Generally, traits
that are highly inherited (ie largely additively controlled) are not
adversely affected by inbreeding but, traits under non-additive
control, especially those tied to dominance and thus not of high
heritability, are often markedly harmed by inbreeding.

OK, how do pedigrees figure into this?

Remember that it is difficult to spot unaffected carriers. When an
affected dog shows up, its pedigree is often examined for likely
carriers. For example, PRA is a common problem in many breeds. There
are dogs that come down with PRA that have a certain ancestor in
common. That ancestor may then be considered a possible carrier and
line breeding on him is avoided. This is a simplistic picture,
obviously, since it's possible for an unaffected non-carrier of PRA
to come from an unaffected carrier that came from an affected dog
(therefore the affected dog is in the unaffected dog's pedigree). If
a general blood test is ever developed that shows the presence of
the recessive in an unaffected dog, then much more accurate
breedings may be done; currently this is only possible for Irish
Setters.

There is rarely only a single problem a breeder is trying to screen
for. Suppose a suspected carrier of PRA is known for producing
excellent hips. A breeder might therefore introduce that bloodline
into theirs for the hips, and be willing to have the possibility of
PRA show up in the line. In screening out one problem you might have
to accept the possibility of another appearing.

Examining the pedigrees also lets you know what percent of ancestry
the dogs share (since the relationships are often much more complex
than simply cousins or aunt/uncle, the degree of common ancestry is
often given as a percentage instead) and decide whether or not it's
acceptable given your current goals.

What are like-to-like matings and compensatory matings?

Like to like mating implies the best to the best and the worst to
the worst where the worst is not used at all. For most breeders,
like to like matings are between dogs which resemble each other
greatly and so similar type dogs are bred. These dogs may or may not
be closely related.

The pups resemble their parents because of the genes in common with
them. If those parents resembled each other their progeny would be
even more like their parents. This tends to make the population look
more uniform, however there is little increase in prepotency from
this technique.

Compensatory Mating: This unlike to unlike mating is used by
breeders to correct for a defect in an animal by mating it to
another animal that might correct for the defect. The system is
basically simple but the breeder must identify faults and virtues
and it requires breed knowledge. The pedigrees of both dogs should
be examined carfully to try to identify the ways in which the dogs
differ and what the expected outcomes could be. A correct dog and
not one who errs in the opposite direction is required. That is, if
you want to improve structure, look for a dog with correct structure
and not an overbuilt dog. This technique often results in only one
or two pups with the combination desired.

But this is all very vague and complicated!

Yes, it is. There are no easy answers, and there are different
things to consider in every breed. This uncertainty with respect to
genetic inheritance is exactly the reason that breeding is so
difficult to do right. It helps immensely to have a "mentor",
someone who is familiar not only with the breeds, but the lines your
dog belongs to -- advice from such a knowledgeable person is often
extremely valuable.

If we knew everything about genetics, we wouldn't have problems
with our dogs any more. We'd eliminate Hip Dysplasia, PRA, heart
problems, thyroid problems, seizures, etc. within a few generations
if we knew everything. Unfortunately it's an art that few people are
actually very good at.


_________________________________________________________________

References

"So you want to use your Dog At Stud?" From the Literary Spot, the
newsletter of the Central MD Dalmation Club 12/89 via Retriever
Believer, the newsletter of the Labrador Retriever Club of Southern
California 8/91.

Tucker, Kathy. "Why are you Breeding?", printed in various
newsletters.

Whitney, Leon E (DVM). How to Breed Dogs 384 pg. Many case studies
on breeds, breed crosses for dominance studies, Myths and fallacies
about breeding dogs, inheritance of traits (such as temperament,
health, intelligence, and abilities).

Wilcox, Bonnie (DVM). "Things to Think about Before Breeding Your
Dog." DVM, printed in various newsletters.

Willis, Malcolm B. Practical Genetics for Dog Breeders. Howell,
1992. 228 pgs with appendix for calculations -- several graphs,
charts, and pictures.

Willis, Malcolm B. Genetics of the Dog. 417 pgs with breed specific
information on many breeds -- plus several charts and graphs.
_________________________________________________________________

Breeding Your Dog FAQ

[Cindy Tittle Moore]

Archive-name: dogs-faq/getting-a-dog
Last-modified: 16 Dec 1994

=======
The latest versions of these FAQ's may be found via the Web at
http://io.com/user/tittle/dogs-faq/homepage.html.

There are nearly 50 FAQ's available for this group. For a complete
listing of these, get the "Complete List of RPD FAQs". This article
is posted bimonthly in rec.pets.dogs, and is available via anonymous ftp
to rtfm.mit.edu under pub/usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/faq-list, via
the Web at http://io.com/user/tittle/dogs-faq/lists/faq-list.html, or via
email by sending your message to mail-...@rtfm.mit.edu with
send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/faq-list
in the body of the message.
==========

GETTING A DOG

Table of Contents

* In General
* What Kind of Dog Should I Get?
* What are My Responsibilities?
* Where Do I Get One?
* Where Do I NOT Get One?
* How Do I Find a Good Veterinarian?
* How Do I Introduce Several Pets?
* What Supplies Do I Need for my Dog?
* What Kind of Pet ID Should I Use?
* What Is Crating?
* What About Dog Houses?


_________________________________________________________________

In General

This article is intended to provide anyone contemplating a new dog,
whether a puppy or an adult, with useful information. There are more
detailed FAQ articles with further information if you get a puppy
(new-puppy) or an adult (new-dog).

The very *best* of the recommended books are the Monks of New Skete
books.

Excellent general information books are: In the US, look at 1995 DOGS
USA Annual for about USD $5.95. The publishers are the same folks
who put out Dog Fancy. Includes a list of breeders, description of
breeds, a directory of trainers and much more.

In Canada, the corresponding booklet is Dogs Annual in Canada. This
includes information on breeders and descriptions for every breed, how
to choose a breeder, directory of trainers, basic training and health
care information, and more. It is an annual that becomes available
about the first week of December, and retails for about CND $6.
_________________________________________________________________

What Kind of Dog Should I Get?

FACTORS TO CONSIDER

There is an enormous variety of dogs in shape, size, personality, and
abilities. Different breeds will have certain characteristics for
which they were bred. Ask breeders at dog shows and look them up in
breed books for further information. You must consider several things
before deciding on a dog:


* How much time can you spend with it? Dogs are social creatures.
They will not be happy left out in the back yard alone. You must
be committed to spending several hours a day with it.

* What space can you provide it? If you live in a small apartment,
you must take this into consideration: larger breeds and active
breeds will not do well unless you expend a good deal of effort in
meeting their needs. Larger dogs may also be more destructive in
smaller spaces, even unintentionally with wagging tails. Dogs can
be pretty adaptable so long as *you* help them out. Large dogs can
do well in smaller areas if you make sure that their needs are
met.

* How much money can you set aside for it? Even if you get a dog
from the shelter or otherwise inexpensively, you will have to buy
food, pay for veterinary checkups, vaccinations and routine
medical care, and purchase other equipment over the lifetime of
the dog. Not to mention replacing anything the dog may damage or
destroy, or putting money out for medical emergencies. Do you have
the financial resources for this?

* How much exercise can you give it? If your time is limited, you
should look for smaller or less active dogs that can obtain enough
exercise in your home or from short walks. Note that not all small
dogs are less active, or larger dogs more active; research your
breeds!

* How much training can you do? Regardless of the dog you get,
training will make your dog much more compatible with you and what
you want to do. A trained dog can go to more places with you
without disruption, and can be more easily a part of your life.

* How much grooming can you do? How much hair are you prepared to
have in your home? You should give serious consideration to these
factors: some dogs shed little and require no grooming (clipping,
stripping, etc); others shed little but require more grooming;
others shed but do not require grooming; and still others both
shed and require grooming. Do note that just about all dogs will
require some nail clipping regardless of conditions. If you get a
dog that requires regular grooming, are you prepared to pay for
its grooming or learn to do it yourself and to do either
regularly?

* Which sex do you want, male or female? There are pros and cons
to either sex, all of which are generalities and may or may not
apply to a specific dog. By all means, if you have a preference,
get the sex you want. If you are not sure, it really doesn't
matter -- look for the dog you hit it off with.

* What characteristics do you want in a dog? Different breeds have
been bred with specific purposes in mind. Dogs bred for scent, for
racing, for retrieving, etc, will exhibit these traits. Consider
which characteristics you would like and which will annoy you.
Reading up on dogs in breed books (some are listed below) and
talking to breeders will give you some idea of these kinds of
characteristics. This also may be a reason to choose a purebred:
characteristics in purebreds appear more reliably because of their
consistent breeding. Do recognize, however, that dogs show
individual personalities, and variety exists within each breed.
Breeds are only a general indicator of what to expect. Some
questions to ask yourself:
+ What sort of exercise do I want to do with the dog? Walking?
Jogging? Hiking?
+ Do I want a dog that is bouncy and ready to go, or more
relaxed?
+ Am I prepared for a dog with some protective tendencies? How
about a dog with possible dog-aggression (because of its
background or breed)?
+ Do I want an indiscriminantly friendly dog or one that is
more reserved?
+ Do I want a dog that must be near me whenever possible or do
I prefer a more independent nature?
+ Will I want a dog that readily accepts other animals (e.g.,
cats, rabbits, etc.)?
+ Am I interested in: obedience, agility, hunting, herding,
coursing, showing, etc. with this dog?

PUREBRED OR MIXED-BREED DOGS

If you are interested in a purebred dog, you should pick up a book on
dog breeds (most libraries will have a good selection) and do some
research, with the above questions in mind. There are some
breed-specific FAQ's available. Finally, you should SERIOUSLY consider
attending a dog show where not only can you potentially contact
breeders, but you can see ADULT specimens of the breed you are
considering. It's very important to remember that cute little puppies
remain cute little puppies only for a matter of weeks. There is a long
period of ungainly and rebellious adolescence finally followed by
mellow adulthood.

If the dog's breed is not important to you, you should still consider
the above list when choosing the dog. You do face a few more unknowns
since a mixed-breed puppy (e.g., a "mutt") may or may not clearly
exhibit what its adult characteristics will be.

Many people have strong feelings about purebred dogs, especially the
characteristics of the breed. Other people feel that the "stereotypes"
are overrated. Jon Pastor made some nice comments about the usefulness
and caveats of typical breed behaviors:

ARE BEHAVIORS COMMONLY ASCRIBED TO SPECIFIC BREEDS BASED IN FACT OR ARE THEY
JUST STEREOTYPES?

They are really a bit of both: they are informal statistical
descriptions (i.e., stereotypes), and to the extent that they reflect
reality they're also facts. "Stereotypes" -- or, more simply, "types"
-- can be, but are not necessarily, evil: it depends on how you use
them.

Typical means "characteristic of the type," and is a statistical
abstraction; it does not have any normative implications -- i.e.,
there is no claim that all (or even most) examples of the type in
question have the characteristics that are stated to be typical. One
of the ways in which people make sense of the world is by comparing
entities they encounter with the types they've stored in their
memories in order to identify them; it's a remarkably effective way of
compiling knowledge about an infinitely complex environment so that it
can be accessed quickly enough to (in the extreme) save one's life.

Thus "typical" is a largely ad-hoc, somewhat personal label, until it
is agreed-upon by some number of people who share the same notion of
what common characteristics identify the "typical" object of a
particular kind. If we could eliminate the biases that have been
identified in such behavior (e.g., if the last 20 dogs you've seen
have been Borzois, you will most likely over-estimate the true number
of Borzois in the dog population), we would find that "typical"
approximated some statistical tendency in the population we're
addressing, typically the mean (average) or mode (most common).

If you pick some characteristic and look in a particular population to
see how many individuals have different levels of that characteristic,
you'll find that when you graph the results they look like this (more
or less):

no.
| |
| *
| * | *
| * | *
| * | *
| * | *
| * | *
| * | *
| * | *
| * | *
| * | *
--+---------------------------+------------------------------------------------
score

There will be some value that occurs most frequently (the mode); in
the case of a perfectly symmetric curve like the one above, this value
will also be the average (mean). Symmetric curves like this occur
surprisingly frequently, so I'll continue to use it as an example.

For example, let's say that you want to plot the aggressiveness of
various breeds. First, you have to come up with a way of ranking dogs
on aggressiveness [an exercise left to the reader ;-)], and then for
each breed you score a large number of dogs on aggressiveness and plot
the results:

no. with
score |
| * |
| * | * o
| * | * o | o
| * | * o | o
| * | * o | o
| * | * o | o
| * | o* | o
| * | o * | o
| * |o *| o
| * o | | * o
--+---------------------------+-------------------+----------------------------
"aggressiveness" score

Here, breed 1 is represented by '*' and breed 2 is represented by 'o'.
Notice a couple of things:
1. the centers of the two curves are clearly separated, from which
you'd conclude that the breeds differ to some degree in
aggressiveness
2. there is some overlap, so that the most aggressive breed 1 dogs
are substantially more agressive than the average breed 2 dog, and
the least aggressive breed 2 dogs are substantially less
aggressive than the average breed 1 dog.

The significance you attribute to the results depends on the shape and
position of the curves, but in most cases there will be substantial
variation within groups and at least some overlap between groups.

Now, by doing this in N dimensions you can play the same game on as
many characteristics as you wish, and make statistically meaningful
statements about tendencies of one particular breed or typical
differences between breeds.

By doing so, you are *NOT* saying that
1. all dogs of a particular breed have all -- or, in fact, *any* --of
the "typical" levels of each characteristic
2. there is necessarily any real dog that has all of the "typical"
levels of each characteristic
3. it is impossible for a dog of breed 2 to have some -- or, in fact,
*all* -- of the typical characteristics of breed 1

This is not a True/False situation, it's an infinitely-graded
situation. If you get a dog of that particular breed, the modal
(typical) value is simply the one you'd be most *likely* to get.

A big caveat: breed traits are not computed scientifically, and are
thus not quite subject to the laws of Statistics. However, they do
reflect the cumulative wisdom of hundreds (thousands?) of years of
human observation and active breeding of dogs.

The bottom line is that if you get an Newfoundland, it is highly
likely that it will be a good lifesaving dog; it is possible, although
less likely, that it will be a *great* lifesaving dog; and it is also
possible, although also less likely, that it will show no aptitude for
lifesaving. Similar statements hold for "typical" traits of sight
hounds, Rotts, Poodles, GSDs, Goldens, Irish Setters, and any other
breed you can think of.

If you use this "stereotype" information to inform your choice of a
dog, and make some effort to determine how "typical" a given dog is
likely to be of its breed (by looking at parents and siblings, by
observing the dog, by asking the owner, etc., etc.), it's innocuous
and can be quite useful. If you use it blindly to make blanket
judgements of breeds, use of stereotypes can be foolish. In the
extreme, if you don't understand the meaning of the characteristics,
or have mis-identified or mis-measured them, use of stereotypes can be
positively evil, such as when "all Pitbulls" are identified as
dangerous and banned.

The only conclusion that this discussion licenses with respect to the
purebred-vs.-mixed-breed question is that prediction is easier with a
purebred because the number of purebreds is (relatively) small and
(relatively) fixed, while the number of possible mixes is essentially
infinite; as a result, there has been more observation of individual
"pure" breeds, and there is consequently more data to support
generalizations about breed characteristics. This is not, by any
means, to say that purebreds are necessarily better or worse; they're
just more predictable.

So if you want a dog with a particular set of characteristics, you
will be more likely to get such a dog if you find a breed that
typically has those characteristics and choose a dog of that breed
*intelligently* than if you choose a dog of mixed breeds (unless, of
course, you're talking about an older dog whose behavioral
characteristics are already obvious and therefore observable). This is
a statement about probability, not about quality, and anyone who
attempts to apply an absolute value-scheme to it is making unwarranted
and unjustifiable extrapolations.

Statistics is a powerful weapon. As with any other such weapon, use it
ignorantly or indiscriminately at your peril...

BOOKS

Listed here some good references on dog breeds; others appear in the
Publications FAQ. In addition, there are many that are specific to one
breed. Space prohibits listing any of these type of dog books here,
but you should look up breed specific books on the breeds you are
especially interested in for even more detailed information. The breed
specific FAQ's mentioned in the introduction will contain recommended
pointers.

One word of warning on breed specific books. In general, avoid the TFH
"KW" series readily available in most pet stores. These are small
books, about 150 pages. Most of them recommend pet stores as a source
for puppies, blithely talk of the "joys" of breeding, and contain very
little actual breed-specific information. Instead there is a large
amount of general information repeated from book to book, and what
amounts to advertising for a number of brands of dog products. Leaf
through the book carefully before deciding (or not) to buy it.

De Prisco, Andrew and James B. Johnson. The Mini-Atlas of Dog
Breeds. TFH Publications, One TFH Plaza, Neptune City, NJ 07753
(1990). ISBN:0-86622-091-7 (hardcover).

This book lists and describes over 500 breeds from around the world.
Abundantly illustrated with color drawings and photos. Includes a
short forward on what criteria you should consider in choosing a
breed, and a short description of the categories it chose to group
dogs in (slightly different from, eg. AKC groupings).

Mandeville, John J., and Ab Sidewater, eds. The Complete Dog Book:
official publication of the American Kennel Club. Eighteenth
edition. Howell Book House, Macmillan Publishing Company, New York.
1992.

This is the reference for the AKC breed standards, each of which
covers several pages and includes a black and white photograph and
text on the breed's history, characteristics, and nature. Newly
admitted breeds, such as the Shar-Pei, have been added to this
edition.

Sylvester, Patricia, ed. The Reader's Digest Illustrated Book of
Dogs. Revised edition. The Reader's Digest Association, Inc.,
Pleasantville, NY. 1989. ISBN 0-89577-340-6. 384 pages.

Besides the excellent text and illustrations in the album, which
cover 2 pages for each breed (175 total), the informative sections
are also well-written and illustrated and include many color
photographs as well.

Tortora, Daniel F. The Right Dog For You. Fireside, Simon & Schuster
Trade Books. 1983. ISBN 0-671-47247-X.

Offers a complex decision procedure, with lots of questionnaires to
alert you to the potential significance of various features of breed
behavior and physical characteristics. One of the few that lists
potential problems of each breed rather than giving a glowingly
positive one for each.

Wilcox, Bonnie and Chriss Walkowicz. Atlas of Dog Breeds. TFH
Publications.

Over 900 pages long in large format. The authors are top notch
writers and did extensive research to compile this comprehensive
resource of the world's dog breeds. The book is profusely
illustrated with excellent quality photographs and a 3-5 page
article. This book makes a good effort to show every color and every
coat type of each breed in the various photos. Expensive. The latest
edition is out in two volumes.

Project BREED Directory. Network for Ani-Males and Females, 18707
Curry Powder Lane, Germantown, MD 20874, 301-428-3675.

There is a section on each breed (over 100 listed) listing specific
breed rescue organizations and individuals throughout the US. It
also describes each breed's appearance, origins, traits, and the
most common hereditary health problems for that breed. No pictures.
Check or money order ($15.95 plus $1.50 s/h) for a copy.

VIDEOS

The AKC Breed Identification Series is a set of seven short video
cassettes that give a brief overview of each breed of dog recognized
by the AKC. The tapes are categorized by AKC breed groupings
(sporting, working...) The segments for each breed last less than five
minutes each. The information is often erratically presented and
incomplete. The tape set is probably unavailable at video rental
stores. Since the set of seven tapes is probably quite expensive, the
public library would be the best way to examine these tapes.

Some breed clubs have much better videos describing their breeds. They
are expensive enough that it's probably not worth getting them if
you're still "browsing," but if you have a dog of that breed, they're
often quite nice to get ahold of.
_________________________________________________________________

What are My Responsibilities?

There are responsibilities that go along with being a good dog owner.
A dog will live from 10 to 20 years, depending on its breed, size and
general health. This is a long term commitment, and you must be ready
to provide the dog with a home for that duration. You must make
provisions for it when you go on vacation. It needs attention, love,
and respect from you: feeding and watering it are not enough. Consider
it part of your family: this is no joke as that is exactly what the
dog thinks YOU are: its pack, its family.


* You are responsible for its health. An essential part of owning
a dog is making sure that it gets good medical care. Check the
vets in your area and pick out one before you even get your dog.
Take your dog in to the vet immediately after acquiring it and
take it in regularly thereafter. You will have expenses for yearly
shots and, in many areas, heart-worm preventive. Puppies and dogs
routinely die without adequate veterinary care.

If you get your dog for protection, you are obligated to make
sure that it is safe, reliable, and trustworthy around people.
Never chain it up in the back yard, or encourage it to snarl and
bite other people. Never try to make a dog "vicious." Such
irresponsible treatment results in tragic stories of children and
adults being mauled or even killed, the dog being put down, and
various dog bans being enacted. A dog can protect you just fine by
barking at suspicious noises and allowing you to investigate. It
does not have to be vicious. A good protection dog is always well
trained, properly socialized, and has a relationship with its
owner that encourages it to be protective. Higher levels of
protection (such as attack dogs) require considerable training and
experienced handling and are most definitely not for everyone.

* You are responsible for your dog's reproduction. You must either
get it neutered, or make provisions for keeping your bitch away
from dogs when in heat. If your male is intact, you must keep him
under control when he smells a bitch in heat. If you breed, you
are responsible for making sure that your dog or bitch is suitable
for breeding (i.e., good health, good temperament, good specimen
of the breed, and free of genetic defects), and making sure that
all resulting puppies are placed in good homes. The millions of
dogs that must be put down annually in the US are the result of
owner irresponsibility about their pet's reproduction.

* You are responsible for your pet's behavior. This means keeping
your dog under control. Do not let it roam; do not let it become a
nuisance to others in your neighborhood. Keep it on a leash when
walking so that it does not run up to other people or dogs and
bother them. Clean up after it or curb it (make it go in the
gutter) when it eliminates, *especially* in public areas. Many
parks, beaches, and lakes are closed to dogs because of
irresponsible owners in this regard.

* You are still responsible for the dog when you "get one for your
kid." Unless your child is old enough, at least 13 (and highly
variable at that), she or he will not have the sufficient maturity
to take responsibility for the dog. A dog can be a good way to
teach children about responsibility, but the dog is still *your*
main responsibility. Dogs acquired for this reason often wind up
in the shelters when the parents find out that they are the dog's
primary caretaker.

* You are responsible for becoming more knowledgeable about dogs.
Find some good books and read up. Enroll in puppy and dog classes
where you can learn much from the instructor; attend them even
before you get a dog or puppy for first hand knowledge of what you
can expect. Many dogs are in animal shelters with a note that says
"couldn't be housebroken" or "couldn't be trained."

* You are responsible for being prepared for the new dog

. Never get one as a "surprise gift." All members of your family
must agree on having a dog. Have food, water and food dishes,
bedding, collars and leashes, chew toys, and a veterinarian lined
up before you pick up your dog. Many "Christmas puppies" are found
in the shelters by New Year's Day.

Some books to try:

Milani, Myrna M., DVM. The Weekend Dog. Signet (Penguin Books USA,
Inc.) (1985). ISBN: 0-451-15731-1 (paperback).

This book outlines practical solutions for working people with dogs.
It has excellent suggestions for understanding dog behavior,
particularly destructive or unwanted behavior. Gives all kinds of
practical solutions to the problems of adequate exercise, adequate

training, housetraining, and so forth.

Miller, Harry. The Common Sense Book of Puppy and Dog Care. Bantam
Books, Third Edition (revised) (1987). ISBN: 0-553-27789-8
(paperback).

This small book provides a surprising amount of useful information.
A little on the "lightweight" side, nevertheless, it gives a good
outline of what you should know about your puppy or dog. You can use
this to decide how much you do know and where you need to brush up
on what you don't. Besides sections on how to select the right dog,
it covers basic puppy needs (housetraining, feeding, illnesses),
basic training, basic pet care, and a complete list of AKC breeds.

Monks of New Skete, The. How To Be Your Dog's Best Friend. Little,
Brown & Company. 1978. ISBN: 0-316-60491-7 (hardback).

A monastery in upstate New York breeds, raises, and trains German
Shepherd Dogs. On the basis of their considerable experience, they
offer troubleshooting guides, discuss discipline, environmental
restrictions, basic and puppy training, and much more. Extensive
bibliography. The emphasis is on understanding the dog in order to
communicate with it or to solve problem behavior. An excellent, well

written classic, although becoming a little dated.

Taylor, David. You and Your Dog. Alfred A. Knopf, New York (1991).
ISBN:0-394-72983-8 (trade paperback).

This useful book is an overall guide to the health and care of dogs.
It includes a basic listing of dog breeds (AKC). This is a good
general purpose book that gives you an idea of what all is involved
in owning and caring for a dog.


_________________________________________________________________

Where Do I Get One?

There are really only three places that you should get a dog from: an
animal shelter, a reputable breeder, or a rescue organization.
Typically, dogs from shelters or rescue organizations are neutered, or
you will be required to neuter them as condition of purchase.

ANIMAL SHELTERS

The animal shelter is a good place to pick up a dog and save it from
death in the bargain. Look for a clean, healthy dog, keeping in mind
any constraints you may have. Look for signs of friendliness and
liveliness. Does it approach you in a friendly manner? Talk with the
people caring for the animals for any information on a particular
animal they can give you.

The best thing to do is to go the animal shelter every weekend and
spend time with the dogs. Try to put their plight out of your mind for
the moment--it would be nice to save them all, but you can't. Instead,
you should get to know the dogs on an individual basis.

Read the tags on each cage and see whether the dog was a stray, or
whether its owner turned it in for some reason. There are some
beautiful adult dogs in the pound that have been given up reluctantly
by ill or elderly, or even deceased, owners. Don't overlook these!

Ask to see the dog in the holding area most shelters have. You'll be
able to check for signs of hostility, see if the dog knows anything,
and in general how it reacts to you. Expect some fear and nervousness!
A few doggy treats may help calm it. If things seem to be going well,
ask if you can take it on a walk, even just around the compound. If
you are curious to know its reaction to cats, take it by the cat
compound.

Finally, don't be afraid to say "not this dog," and walk away. It is
hard, hard, hard to walk away from a sweet dog, but you are looking
for a companion for life, so you will have to be honest with yourself
about what you want. There are horror stories from people who made an
impulsive decision in the pound and lived to regret it.

BREEDERS

If you plan to show your dog, or desire a healthy pet-quality
purebred, find a reputable breeder. Don't use newspaper
advertisements. Attend dog shows instead and talk to the owners there.
Try contacting the local breed club for the breed you are interested
in. It's best to get to know several breeders before they actually
have litters you would like to get puppies from. This gives you a
chance to learn more about the breed, learn more about the
philosophies and intents of the breeders you know, and learn more
about the prospective parents of your pup. The more information you
have, the better off you will be.

The AKC has implemented a new program for breeder referral. The number
is 1-900-407-PUPS. Tell them the breed you are interested in and where
you live and they will give you the number of a person in your area
who will help you locate a reputable breeder near you. The idea is to
connect potential dog owners with local breed clubs and in turn
responsible breeders.

Remember, though no breeder is *automatically* responsible or
reputable just from the source you were referred from. You must
determine whether a particular breeder is suitable for your needs, and
the more time and research you put into this, the better your results
will be.

Selecting the breeder

After you compile a list of potential breeders to contact, screen them
through the phone first. Here's a list of questions to ask (in no
particular order).
* Can you see the dam and if possible the sire?
* Where are the pups being raised, in a family setting or in a
kennel?
* What health problems occur in the breed?
* Have these problems been checked in the parents? As appropriate:
OFA certification, CERF certification, blood tests, etc.
* Request a copy of the sire and dam's lineage/pedigree.
* Titles on sire and dam.
* Info on puppies the sire and dam (together or with other mates)
have previously produced? (That is, are either of the parents
"proven"?)
* Has the puppy been crated trained, paper trained, etc.
* What breed clubs do you belong to? Do you have references?
* How many puppies were in the litter?
* Any difficulties during delivery?
* How often is the bitch bred?
* What guarantees do you offer on your animals?
* What is in your sales contract?
* Do you offer a spay/neuter contract for pet quality puppies?
* Have they been to the vet yet? Wormed? Shots? Are the dogs bred
for the ring, field, or for general pet purposes?
* How many breedings have you done to date? How long have you been
breeding? Names and phone numbers of several customers, and the
vet you use.
* How many different breeds have you bred? How many breeds are you
breeding now?
* If for some reason I cannot keep the dog, will you take it back,
no matter how old it is?
* If I want a bitch puppy so I can breed her as an adult, what kind
of, if any, restrictions will you include in the sales contract?
* Do you have a litter available? If not, when are you planning one?
(If a litter isn't presently available, ask if/when they are next
planning to show their dogs in your area. If you can go, this is a
golden opportunity to observe the structure and temperament of the
dogs they breed.)

When you meet with breeders, look for people that seem more concerned
with the welfare of their dogs than the amount of money they're
making. Look for ones raising the puppies "underfoot" and around
people. If the breeder is using kennels, check for cleanliness, happy
dogs, no overcrowding, shelter from the elements, plenty of fresh
water. Check and see how many different breeds the breeder is breeding
-- good breeders limit themselves to one or two (usually related)
breeds because of the time, expense, and energy involved in producing
excellent specimens of a particular breed. Otherwise, the breeder may
be operating what is essentially a puppy mill (check this against how
often the dam is being bred & what condition she is in).

A reputable breeder should have some history of breeding animals. They
may be breeding for show or field work or just plain good pets. They
should be able to tell you about some of their previous puppies. They
should be able and willing to discuss the health and well being of the
parents of your puppy including: eye conditions, hip dysplasia, etc.
In general, be suspicious of puppies from anyone who has not had the
parents at minimum x-rayed for hip dysplasia and had the eyes checked
by a veterinarian, or for other problems associated with the breed.
Not all breeds have the same problems, but breeders should know what
they are and be able to tell you which ones they've tested for. And if
you've done your homework beforehand, you'll know if they're checking
the right things.

Get references of previous clients and call them up and ask them how
they liked their dog. Don't overlook this step, you can learn a lot
about what the puppies are like and how well they did this way. A
reputable breeder should have no problem supplying you with such
references.

You should be able to see one or both parents of your puppy; their
temperament will give you a good idea of your puppy's adult
temperament. Obedience and temperament titles can indicate good
temperament. Being unable to see the sire is not uncommon, picky
breeders will often ship their bitch cross-country to a good prospect.
If both parents are owned by the breeder (and those are the only two),
chances are this breeder is a backyard breeder.

Check for some basic health problems: a litter that was larger than
the breed average may mean that the puppies are smaller and not as
healthy, a small litter might indicate trouble during pregnancy. A
litter of size one or two means that the puppies are getting little or
no socialization with littermates, regardless of health. The puppies
should look vigorous and be strongly sucking, beware of listless
(though sleeping is OK) puppies and indifferent suckling. Try to see
the puppies when they're likely to be active.

"Runts" are puppies that are significantly smaller than their
littermates. If they are otherwise healthy (actively rooting and
sucking, playing with littermates, etc.), then they are probably
simply younger than their siblings. When dogs are bred, they mate over
a period of several days, and it's possible for some of the puppies to
be concieved on the first mating and others on subsequent matings.
Over a period of four days, this can make the youngest puppy
significantly smaller. These puppies frequently catch up several
months later, and it's not uncommon for such a pup to turn out to be
the largest one in the litter! Puppies that are runts due to health
problems should be avoided. A reputable breeder will let you know
which kind of runt the pup is.

Puppies should be at minimum dewormed by eight weeks of age. The first
set of puppy shots is desireable as well. Beware of breeders who have
not had a vet see the puppies (or mother) at all.

Many responsible breeders only guarantee the general health of a pup
for a limited time (e.g. 48 hours). This is not a rip-off. The breeder
has no control over the pup once the new owner takes it. Reputable
breeders will stand by that guarantee *if* the new owner takes the pup
to a vet who finds something wrong (e.g. a communicable disease)
within that period but the breeder can hardly be held responsible for
a disease contracted after the pup is in its new home. Thus, such an
early trip to the vet is for the protection of all concerned.

Guaranteeing against genetic defects is common: such a guarantee
generally means a refund or replacement in the case of a defect
occurring; it does NOT mean that the puppy will "never" develop a
genetic defect. Be wary of breeders that claim their puppies can never
develop some defect that does occur in the breed.

The breeder should also guarantee to take the puppy back if you are
unable to keep it rather than having it go to the pound. The breeder
should also be concerned about your living conditions and what you
plan to use the dog for before they allow their puppy to go live with
you. Many breeders will want to know what you plan to do about
reproduction. Many will require that a pet quality puppy be neutered,
and withhold registry papers until receipt of proof of neutering (thus
making any puppies from that dog unregisterable).

If guarantees or other contracts (such as spay/neuter) are involved,
get it all down in writing. A responsible breeder will not be offended
by such a step. If something goes wrong, you have no legal recourse if
there is nothing in writing, verbal contract laws in some states to
the contrary.

If you're planning on a puppy for show (conformation or hunting or
whatever else your breed does) and possible breeding, look for a
breeder that is very picky about selling such puppies. If this is your
first such puppy, expect an offer of co-ownership if they think you're
serious. At the minimum, the breeder should be discussing how they'll
remain involved with the puppy. This is a valuable resource, by the
way, the breeder will be able to explain what the puppy's pedigree
means, what other dogs it should be bred to, how to show it, and so
on. Moreover, if you are planning something like this, definitely take
your time and get to know several breeders doing the same things you
are interested in. This will give you contacts, information, and a
break when a good litter comes along and the breeders know you or you
are vouched for by another breeder. It can be hard to "break into"
showing and breeding, but a little patience on your part will give
better results.

Good breeders often have a waiting list of potential puppy buyers and
often will not breed until they know they can place all the resulting
puppies. If you find a breeder you like, do not be surprised if you
are placed on a waiting list for a puppy. The wait will be worth it!

Approach getting a puppy as if you were adopting a child. Expect a lot
of questions and ASK a lot of questions! A responsible breeder is also
looking for a responsible owner.

Selecting the puppy

Many breeders let you see and play with the entire litter at once. One
puppy may come right up to you and investigate. Of course, it's cute
-- all puppies are. You may think this puppy has "chosen" you.
Instead, it's likely to be the most dominant puppy in the litter.
Dominant puppies will check new things out before the rest of the
litter does. Your "chosen" puppy may not be right for you if you're a
novice at dog ownership or obedience training.

A better way to select a pup from a litter is to do a little
temperament testing and pick the dog with the temperament that best
meets you and your family's needs. The Monks of New Skete's book, "The
Art of Raising a Puppy," discusses the Puppy Aptitude Test developed
by Joachim and Wendy Volhard. They indicate the degree of social
compatability and how readily a pup will accept human leadership.

If the breeder picks a puppy out for you, that's also normal:
reputable ones will have evaluated their puppies and match one to you
based on what you've indicated you want.

RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS

Another excellent source for a purebred dog is from a rescue
organizations run by various clubs across the country. If it is a
breed rescue, dogs of that breed are rescued from shelters or private
homes as needed, fostered while a placement is found, and then placed.
The adoption fee usually is less than the cost of a purebred from
other sources.

For addresses of rescue services for various breeds, call the American
Kennel Club library, 212-696-8348, or check the breed-specific FAQ, if
one exists for your breed. You can also check the BREED book (listed
above); it contains over 1500 sources for rescue assistance for 72
breeds throughout the US. Breed clubs often run a rescue program; try
contacting the local breed club for the breed you're interested in.

There also exist all-breed and mixed-breed rescue groups; this is
another source besides the shelter to obtain a dog.

You should try to spend some time with each dog you consider adopting,
as recommended and described for shelter dogs. Talk to the people who
are fostering the prospective dog for a better idea of the particular
dog's temperament. Ask questions like you would with a breeder; expect
a good outfit to screen you as well. Expect them to ask for a donation
and require that the animal is neutered, if it isn't already.

Further breed-rescue resources: The newsgroup rec.pets.dogs.rescue;
the mailing list dog-rescue (see the Email List FAQ); the November
1994 issue of the AKC Gazette.
_________________________________________________________________

Where Do I NOT Get One?

BACKYARD BREEDERS

People who have unplanned litters or breed for profit advertise their
puppies in the paper. This is not a good source. If you must try
these, check the health of the puppies carefully. As with breeders,
look for people more concerned with the welfare of the puppies --
people out for a fast buck will not likely have seen to the health of
the puppies. If you are looking for a purebred, forget the backyard
breeders and find a reputable breeder instead. It will save you time
and money and heartache. If you don't care about having a purebred,
you will do better at the animal shelter.

It is not impossible that you will find a conscientious breeder
through the newspaper. Just check them carefully when you go and visit
them, like you would any other breeder.

DISREPUTABLE BREEDERS

Any breeder that has in mind one single goal and breeds only for that
must be considered disreputable. Many backyard breeders (goal = money)
fall into this category, but so do:
* Those who breed ONLY for the perfect show dog
* Those who breed ONLY for top performance

The key word is ONLY. Reputable breeders seek a balanced dog: they
will breed for:
* proper conformation (good structure is key for comfortable and
free movement)
* good level of appropriate ability (if a hunting breed, dogs in the
pedigree have hunting titles or have been used for hunting; same
for herding, coursing, etc.)
* good overall temperament
* good health

Disreputable breeders with a single goal in their view will frequently
sacrifice many of these points; a breeder seeking top performance
often lets temperament or health slide, just so long as the dog can
perform; a breeder seeking top show dogs may let the dog's abilities
and health slide. Examine your breeders carefully and go with the ones
that match your overall philosophy and goals!

PET STORES

Don't buy pet store animals. These are often obtained from
disreputable sources such as "puppy mills" (where animals are bred
(and bred and bred) only for profit). By buying from the store, you
are supporting these mills and adding to the pet population problem.
In addition, you are obtaining an animal of dubious health and any
money you might save will likely go directly into vet costs as its
health deteriorates and you may even have to put it down. If it is
purebred and has papers, chances are very good that the papers have
been forged in some way and even that the puppy is not really
purebred. Even if the papers are legitimate, the pedigrees are often
extremely poor. Many behavioral problems appear in these puppies as
they are carelessly bred, separated too early from their mother and
littermates, improperly handled, unsocialized with either humans or
dogs, and forced to live in their own feces.

A graphic article in LIFE Magazine (Sept. 1992) illustrates the kinds
of problems with puppy mills.

Many pet stores have been instructing their employees to tell
prospective clients that all the animals in the store are from local
breeders. In many cases, this is simply not true. Other stores will
have pictures and commentaries on their walls to inform you how clean
and sanitary THEIR puppy mills are -- but "clean and sanitary" still
does not obviate the problems with socialization and bloodlines. Don't
be fooled! And you may not even want to patronize the stores for pet
supplies as this will indirectly support the mills, too.
_________________________________________________________________

How Do I Find a Good Veterinarian?

Before you even bring your new dog home, take it to the vet you have
already selected. Annual shots and examinations are a must for keeping
your dog healthy. If you cannot afford veterinary care for a dog,
don't get one. Preventive and consistent care is less expensive in the
long run.

CHOOSING A VET

Choose a vet who you are comfortable with and who will answer your
questions. Check out the office: do animals seem just frightened or
are they also out of control? Is it bedlam, or reasonable for the
number of different animals there? Do you have local recommendations
from friends? Does the vet specialize in small animals as opposed to,
say, livestock? Try to get word-of-mouth recommendations.

Asking other pet owners isn't always effective because they may not
have had any unusual or challenging health problems with their pets,
and vets that can be okay for routine stuff often are less impressive
with unusal stuff.

Call vets in your area and ask the vet techs, not the vets themselves,
who they would recommend other than their own current employer.
Another good source is groomers, as they tend to hear a lot of stories
from their clients.

If you find the recommended vet is very expensive, he probably owns
the practice. Try one of the associates. They tend not to run up the
bills so much, and a good vet will usually hire good associates as
well.

Look for a vet who is willing to refer you elsewhere if they don't
know the answers rather then saying something like "It must be an
allergy", etc.

Check to see if the vet is licensed by the AVMA (American Veterinary
Medical Association). They do extensive and picky inspections of the
facilities.

24 HOUR EMERGENCY CARE

A good vet will either be associated with a 24 emergency care plan or
be able to give you the number of a good place in your area. Keep this
number on your refrigerator and check with your vet when you visit
that it's still up-to-date.

FECAL SAMPLES

Any time you bring your dog to the vet, try to bring a fresh fecal
sample. Put a small, fingernail-sized sample into a plastic bag, or
ask your vet for a supply of fecal samplers. The vet cannot always get
a fecal sample from the dog, and this saves you extra trips to return
the sample and then bring the dog in if the tests are positive.

Try an ordinary sandwich bag (e.g. a "Baggie" -- ziplock is convenient
but not necessary) and turn it inside out over your hand like a rubber
glove. Then simply pick up the stool with your covered hand, turn the
bag right-side out, enclosing the sample. Zip if ziplock otherwise use
a twist tie. This is perfectly sanitary (and you can use the same
procedure to clean up after your dog on walks).
_________________________________________________________________

How Do I Introduce Several Pets?

When you get your new dog, you might already have pets that you will
need to introduce the new dog to. Exactly what you will need to do
depends on the kinds and temperaments of the animals involved.

Introducing a puppy to an older dog is probably the easiest
combination. If the older dog is properly socialized with other dogs,
you will not have problems. If the older dog is not, you may have to
keep the dogs separated until you're more confident about their
getting along. (In any case, a puppy will often be restrained as per
housetraining efforts when you are not at home.)

If you are introducing a puppy to a cat, you will probably have some
trouble for a few months. Older cats, unless they've dealt well with
dogs before will probably hiss and spit at the puppy or avoid it for a
long time. As long as the cat has a place to retreat to and you teach
the puppy to leave the cat alone (granted, easier said than done), you
will work through problems eventually.

Puppies and kittens tend to get along just fine. Watch out for
possible accidental injuries if the puppy is (or will become) much
bigger than the cats.

If you are introducing an adult dog to an adult dog, it will depend on
their temperament and how well they get along with other dogs. You
might have some scuffles to establish a hierarchy -- keep an eye on it
but don't forbid it unless things get out of hand. If one dog reacts
very poorly to the other, you will have to separate them for a while
and work on introducing them slowly. You may have to keep them
separate when you are gone.

An adult dog with a cat can present problems if the dog thinks cats
make tasty snacks, or if the cat takes a dim view of dogs. You may
have to keep them separated, or expect a longer period of adjustement.
If the dog is fine with cats, introducing it to a kitten is easy.

In sum, it depends on the temperament and ages of the animals
involved. In most cases, you can simply introduce them, let them work
it out, and after a week to a month or so, things are fine. However,
sometimes this is a lengthy process that you will have to work
through, especially if it is cross-species. In general, this will
work:

Put the dog in its own room, where the original pet can smell it,
but not see it. After a day or so of this, remove the dog from the
room and let the original pet smell and explore the room thoroughly.
Put the dog back in. Depending on the reactions involved, let the
pets meet under supervision. If there is some hostility, separate
them while you are gone until you are certain that they get along.
It is best if you can arrange a "retreat" for each animal.

Meeting first in a neutral area such as someone else's house or in a
park, if possible, may help.

Arrange a retreat for a cat by blocking off entrance to a room with a
child's gate that the cat can jump over but the dog cannot.

Be sure that the original pet gets plenty of attention after the
arrival of the new pet. Resentment at loss of attention and change in
routine can exacerbate the problems with the two getting along.

Finally, remember that it can take several weeks to a year for the
animals to adjust. Don't rush things. Your best resource is patience.

_________________________________________________________________

What Supplies Do I Need for my Dog?

You will need to be prepared with several things before you get your
dog. Among them include collars, leashes, food dishes, and so on.

COLLARS

A wide variety of collars exist. Leather collars are nice, strong and
sturdy, but they do pick up smells and if they get wet, may become
brittle or start to rot. Nylon stays much cleaner, but may fade,
especially with the brighter colors. Sometimes nylon rips unexpectedly
when encountering something sharp.

A partial listing:


* Flat buckle collars. These may come in either nylon, leather, or
sometimes cloth-covered nylon. These are the buckle type, with
holes along part of the collar for some adjustment.

* Flat quick-release collars. Like above, but with a quick release
snap rather than the buckle. Nylon only. These are very convenient
for easy removal of the collar. Some kinds are adjustable as well,
to a greater degree than the above-mentioned collars, without the
extra collar hanging at the end in smaller sizes. This is very
useful with a growing puppy. Some of these quick release snaps
will break more easily than you might expect.

* Rolled leather collars. These usually have a buckle. These avoid
the chafing or hair breakage that flat collars sometimes do to
dogs.

* Braided nylon collars. These very thin collars are often used in
the show ring. Most people do not use these collars. They are not
very sturdy. Many of them tighten in the same way a choke collar
does. Unless you are showing your dog, don't bother with them.

* Halter-style collars. These are marketed under a wide variety of
names and are really a training tool, although they may be used in
place of a collar. There are several variations, but the principle
is that the collar goes around the nose and is anchored on the
neck. The leash is snapped on under the chin. The leash action is
thus on the nose, much like a halter on a horse. The dog cannot
pull when the restraint is on the nose. These should NOT be
confused with a muzzle -- the dog is not prevented from opening
its mouth. Halter-style collars are especially useful in helping
train a dog away from constantly pulling on the leash. Owners with
back problems will use these as "insurance." You do not leave
these collars on unattended dogs.

* Choke chains. Sometimes called training collars or slip collars. A
wide variety, from large links to small links, usually metal. In
longer haired breeds, may pull hair out around neck. Generally
used for "corrections," hence the sliding action. Be sure to have
the collar on properly, check pictures for correct placement. The
longer and heavier the chain is, the less effective the correction
is (the collar should loosen the instant you release pressure). Do
not leave this type of collar on an unattended dog, as it might
catch on something and choke the dog. Don't use them on a puppy.
Don't put your dog's tags on them, that will interfere with their
action. For a good fit, buy one that barely fits over the dogs
ears when you put it on and is the smallest/lightest possible in
that length. A very heavy chain will not give a good correction. A
"curb-link" type of chain is very good and minimizes catching of
hair.

* Pinch or prong collars. These are a corrective tool. They are not
intended to be a "normal" collar, but are to be used while
training. They have a prong arrangement on the inside of the
collar that tightens around the neck in a correction. A properly
fitting collar rides high on the neck just under the ears. It
*cannot* be slid over the head, you have to take one link out and
fasten it closed around the dog's neck. Never leave on
unsupervised. These collars should never be used on a puppy.

* Harnesses. If your dog is small or delicate, using a harness
instead of a collar when walking will avoid neck injuries. Be sure
the harness fits comfortably and will not chafe the arm pits. You
will probably want to use the harness for walking and still have a
normal collar for the tags. If you have a big dog that likes to
pull, getting a harness will only improve pulling power.

There are some harnesses that are "no pull" harnesses. They work
on the principle that the dog feels like it will fall on its face
when it pulls. They don't work on every dog, but work quite well
when they do. Tip: test them in the pet store before you buy them
to be sure it works for you.

* If you like to ride bicycles, consider getting a Springer and
training your dog to run alongside of you. A Springer will keep
the dog from pulling you over while it's learning to follow you
and is breakaway in case of emergency. Available in mail order
catalogs. There are several manufacturers of these type of
products, all fairly similar and similarly priced.

* Electronic collars are strictly for training and should never,
ever be used without the help and advice from a professional.
Improperly used, these collars can destroy a dog's self
confidence, desire to work and general good will. In general,
electronic collars are not recommended for most dog owners.

LEASHES

Again, there are many kinds of leashes, in different lengths. You will
probably want a short leash for walking in crowds, a longer leash for
just walking along, and an extra long leash (that could just be rope)
for some training exercises.

You can find a variety of snaps on leashes. The most common is a hook
with a knob that pulls down to open the hook (snap hooks). Another
kind is a hook where the lower part pushes in (spring hooks). The
latter are better as they don't accidentally release. Look for hooks
with swivels to avoid twisting. There are a few hooks that actually
screw closed. They are hard to find but can be useful for some people.


* Flat nylon leashes. The most common. They come in a variety of
colors and lengths.

* Braided rope leashes. These look like the rope used in rock
climbing, with the same colorful patterns. These are sometimes
easier on the hand and are quite sturdy.

* Leather leashes. These range from the plain to the intricately
braided. Take care to keep them out of the water to prevent
brittleness. Inspect them for wear. Shorter ones, two to four
feet, are ideal for training.

* Metal link leashes. Especially if your dog likes to chew on
leashes. Sometimes combined with leather, especially for the
handle. Not a good leash to use with a choke-chain collar.

* Flexi-leads. Developed in Germany, these are spring-loaded,
retractable leashes that have a minimum length of 2.5 feet and
varying maximum lengths. They come in a variety of sizes. The
handle is bulky because it contains the retracting assembly, but
there is a comfortable hand grip. Be careful -- it is easy to get
wrapped up in the flexi-lead and rope-burn yourself or at least
get all tangled. These leashes are ideal for letting the dog
explore around you while you walk along. They are not very good to
use when training your dog because of the amount of give in the
rope even when the length is locked in.

FOOD DISHES

In general you want to get ceramic or metal food dishes. Plastic food
dishes acquire microscopic scratches in which bacteria flourishes. You
should wash the food dishes frequently, just as you do your own.
Always supply fresh water with each meal.

If your dog has long hound ears, you should get the cone-shaped high
dishes that help keep the ears out of the food and water. Otherwise,
any dish will do fine for your dog. There are lots of cute dog dishes
out there.

Some of the larger breeds should have their food dishes elevated to
reduce strain on the neck and back. Most mail-order companies carry
metal frames for dishes. You can also try wooden boxes. Another
possibility is to obtain traffic cones and cut the tips off -- food
dishes then fit snugly on top.

CAR RESTRAINTS

You should have some way of restraining your dog in the car. This is
for your own safety as well as your dog's. An unrestrained dog that
climbs everywhere may get into the driver's lap and cause havoc. An
unrestrained dog that likes to chew may destroy the interior of the
car. Even an unrestrained dog that lays quietly may be severely
injured if you get into an accident.

There are several types of restraints:


* Harnesses. There are a variety of different restraints that use
the harness and the seat belt to restrain the dog.

* Screens. You can purchase metal screens that fence off an area of
the car for your dog. These are usually used in trucks, sporting
vehicles, vans, and station wagons.

* Crates. You can get a crate to fit your dog and keep it in your
car. This is not feasible for everyone, especially the larger your
dog is and the smaller your vehicle is, but is probably the safest
method of restraint.

* Pickup leashes. There are various ways to restrain a dog in the
back of a pick up truck. These are generally not advisable, but
some people do use them. But if your dog must ride in the back of
a pickup, do use some type of leash. Crates, fastened down, are
even better.

* Leashes. You can even use a leash: clip it on your dog, and either
tie the other end to an arm-rest on the door, or close the door on
a loop of it in such a way that the dog's mobility is quite
restricted. Not the best long term solution, but it can help in a
pinch.

CHEW TOYS

Nylabones are best for keeping teeth clean. Followed by either
Gumabones or Nylafloss. Virtually any chew toy has potential problems,
always keep an eye out for them.



Nylabones
Nylabones are most highly recommended. They cost about 3 times
as much as a rawhide but last for a very long time. Some dogs
don't like them and may need some encouragement; most will
happily use them. Some dogs chow down on them so
enthusiastically that they get "slab" fractures on their teeth.
Nylabones should be replaced when the ends show signs of wear.

Gumabones
Gumabones are similar to nylabones, but a bit softer and
without as much tooth cleaning ability. The manufacturer says
that Gumabones are more likable and serve as toys, but the
Nylabone is necessary to satisfy frustration chewing and
chewing due to a need to chew. Some dogs have trouble with
flatulence when they ingest the small pieces of gumabone that
they chew off. Replace when the toy shows signs of crumbling.
Note that there are many kinds of toys out there made of soft
rubber -- Gumabones is a particular brand name of a common sort
of dog toy.

Tuffies
A similar toy is the "tuffy" or "kong" (several manufacturers &
copycats) -- usually a red cone-shaped toy made of rubber that
is sturdier than the Gumabone variety. It comes in a giant
black size, various smaller red sizes, and one that is white
and blue with a throw strap that floats. These are guaranteed
against destruction. This toy has a hollow center and hiding
treats in it can provide your dog with much enjoyment.

Nylafloss (also rope bone, booda bone)
Nylafloss is also well accepted and is the best tooth cleaner
of all. To many dogs, though, it is only interesting when you
wave it in the dog's face. (Nylafloss looks like very a thick,
knotted rope.) Watch out for dogs that like to chew them
through and swallow pieces of string.

Rawhide
Rawhide is not recommended by most people because the dogs tend
to swallow large pieces, which swell and sometimes block the
intestines. Also, if the shank gets slimy but the knot is still
hard, the dog can swallow the shank and choke on the knot. You
can prevent this by buying rawhide in other shapes, such as
chips, or buying shredded and compressed rawhide treats
(although these do not last as long). Lastly, and much more
commonly, they cost a fortune if you have a mid-to-large dog or
a dog with powerful jaws. If you do use them, look for
US-or-locally manufactured ones; imported ones sometimes have
chemical residues.

Bones There are specially treated bones that resist splintering, and
you can hide treats in the hollow center, giving your dog hours
of enjoyment trying to get them out. Untreated organic bones
may splinter and cause tooth wear or even gum and mouth
injuries. Eating the pieces often results in constipation. The
best bones are the large ones that resist splintering. Replace
after cracks or splinters appear. Small bones, especially
chicken bones should NEVER be given to a dog. They will crunch
down and swallow the bones, which may lodge in the throat and
choke the dog, puncture the esophagus or stomach lining, or
block the intestines. If your dog is not immediately killed, it
will require expensive surgery to get the bone out of its body.


Cow hooves
Cow hooves are better than rawhide because they break down into
smaller pieces and are much cheaper and more durable. However,
like organic bones, they can cause gum and mouth injuries if
they chip. They smell somewhat and may cause tooth wear. Smoked
hooves are available that don't smell as much. Pick out the
largest, most solid hooves; replace when they are worn down to
a small piece. Stop using them if your dog splinters large
chunks off them. Slab fractures are also possible with cow
hooves.

CHOOZ Another item is CHOOZ, by the makers of Nylabones. This item
looks like a nylabone but is crunchy like a hard dog biscuit.
It can also be tossed into your oven or microwave to change its
texture (makes it lighter and more like a hard bread). CHOOZ
has been involved in at least one case of gastric blockage; you
may not want to use it.

Pig's ears
Pig's ears look like good chew toys, but the truth is that dogs
can eat them in about 15 minutes or so. Dogs love them, but
they are not a chew toy and should be used as an occasional
treat instead. Given too often, they will cause loose stools.


_________________________________________________________________

What Kind of Pet ID Should I Use?

There are several steps you can take to increase the chances of your
dog being returned to you if lost, or to decrease the chances of your
dog being stolen.

PET TAGS

By far the most important piece of information on your pet's tag is
your telephone number, including the area code. Everything else is
just optional. Some people do not like to put their dog's name on the
collar, as that can make it easier for a thief to coax your dog along
with its name. The choice is up to you. Attach the tag to your dog's
collar securely. Do not use the "S" hooks -- many tags are lost that
way. Use the keyring type of attachment, or better yet, have the tag
riveted onto the collar.

Of course, one problem with tags is that they are easily removed
simply by removing the collar.

There are a few services with which you can register a pet tag and you
get an ID number and an 800 number for the person who finds your dog
to call. Depending on the service, they will guarantee pickup of your
pet, necessary veterinary attention and hold the dog until they can
contact you.

TATTOOING

Get your dog tattooed. Tattoos cannot be removed or lost. This will
help identify your dog and get it returned to you (most animal
shelters will not destroy a tattooed dog). It helps deter theft and
ensures that your pet will not wind up in a laboratory somewhere. Your
vet can give you pointers to someone who can tattoo your pet. RC
Steele sells a do-it-yourself kit, worth considering if you have
multiple dogs.

Tattooing is an excellent way to protect your pets. In fact, there are
animal science laboratories and vet clinics around the country that
sponsor low-cost tattoo clinics and tattoo "fairs."

Get the tattoo put on the inside of your dog's thigh. This is much
harder to remove than one placed in your pet's ear. As long as the dog
is over 5 weeks of age, it can be tattooed. The younger the better --
puppies are more easily controlled than adult dogs are.

You must get the tattoo number registered, or it isn't very useful in
locating you. If you use the National Dog Registry, use a number that
will not change. (Social security numbers are good.) There is a
one-time fee for registering the number, and you can then register
other pets with the same number.

Anesthesia is not *required* to do a tattoo, though it can help. You
might consider having your bitch spayed and tattooed at the same time,
for example.

You should note that tattooing (or micro-chipping) is a prerequisite
for registering a pure-bred dog in some countries, such as Canada.

Unfortunately, tattoos can fade over time. Also, especially in
double-coated or long-haired breeds, it may be hard to find the tattoo
when the hair grows back. You can keep the area shaven, of course, but
your dog might be lost long enough for the hair to grow back.

MICROCHIP ID

An alternative, that is used in Canada, and increasingly in the US is
an injected microchip. The microchip contains a numbering system that
is readable with a scanner. There are three manufacturers and four
microchips that have been produced. AVID is marketed by AVID and
IdentIchip. Trovan is a German company and their technology is
marketed by Infopet. Destron is marketed under a variety of names in
the US and by Anitech in Canada. The AVID scanner can read all chips
but the Trovan chip. The other scanners can read only their own.

Each company has their own database you can register with. Each
microchip has a 10 digit alpha/numeric code that is assigned to you
(or your kennel) and your pets, Some of the information that is kept
on file are extra emergency numbers to have contacted should your pet
be impounded or taken to an animal hospital due to injury or illness.
Your vet's name and number are also included along with any important
medical info about your animal. This is important for animals that
have life threatening medical conditions that need constant treatment.
Keep this information up to date!

Not all shelters check for the chip, but increasing numbers are doing
so in the US. There are no documented cases of medical problems
related to the insertion of the chip just under the skin. Since
tattoos can fade over time, this is an alternative to consider. It
takes about 2 minutes to insert the chip and fill out the form. After
that, all you have to do is pay yearly dues.

You generally want to be sure that the person doing it has medical
training for sterility and health reasons. The chip must be placed
between the shoulder blades and not migrate (effectively
disappearing).

The chip itself is about the size and shape of a grain of rice, The
needle is hollow and on the end of a syringe that contains the chip,
about 3mm wide. Once in, the chip is inserted with the plunger from
the syringe and it is done in about 20 seconds.

WHO CAN I CONTACT?



An article in the August 1993 issue of Dog Fancy goes into this
further. It's called "Beyond Dog Tags" and is on page 27. This article
lists all the microchip companies, tag registries, and tattoo
registries and discusses each of these methods of protecting your dog.


Briefly, these are: Microchips:
* AVID in California (714) 371-7505, nationwide (800) 336-AVID
* Destron in Colorado (303) 444-5306 (Uses Destron chip)
* IdentIchip in Pennsylvania (717) 275-3166 (Uses AVID chip)
(Provides programs for breeders, shelters, and vets.)
* InfoPet in Pennsylvania (612) 890-2080 (Uses Trovan chip) also
(800) 463-6738

Tag Registries:
* 911-Pets Lost Pet Service Chicago (312) 890-4911
* Petfinders New York (800) 666-LOST or (800) 666-5678
* Pet Find Inc. Oregon (800) AID-A-PET

Tattoo Registries:
* National Dog Registry New York (800) 637-3647 / NDR-DOGS
* Tatoo-A-Pet New York (718) 646-8200 / (800) TAT-TOOS
* U.S. Found Maryland (410) 557-7332

THEFTS

Animal thefts do happen, this is a fear of pet owners everywhere.
First of all, if your dog is missing or stolen, you have a
responsibility to report it to the police. They may not always be able
to do anything about it, but if they get several reports, then they
can justify putting some time on it. Don't make the mistake of
thinking that you are bothering the police!

Call the shelters and the local vets and tell them of your loss, they
can be on the lookout for your dog. Most vets will take a description
of your dog and contact others in the area to keep an eye out for it.
Put up flyers in the immediate area. If your dog has been tattooed or
micro-chipped, it may show up shortly.

Some more information: Stolen for Profit, authored by Judith
Reitmen, discusses animal dealers licensed to supply "random source
animals" to research labs. The number to report a missing or
suspected-stolen animal is 800-StolenPet - this is a automated
recording. Their reach-a-live-human number is (415) 453-9984. They can
tell you if there have been other reported missing or stolen dogs in
your area (if, of course, other people reported to them). Bear in mind
that some of these are unnecessarily alarmist type of organizations,
but they can still be useful in helping locate a lost pet.
_________________________________________________________________

What Is Crating?

Crating is a controversial topic. There are those who believe that
crate training is indefensible and others who believe that it is a
panacea. The reality is likely somewhere in between.

WHAT DOES THE DOG THINK?

First, you must understand what the crate represents to the dog. Dogs
are by nature den creatures -- and the crate, properly introduced, is
its den. It is a safe haven where it does not need to worry about
defending territory. It is its own private bedroom which it absolutely
will not soil if it can help it. Judicious use of the crate can
alleviate a number of problems, stop others from ever developing, and
aid substantially in housetraining.

Where is the crate? It should be around other people. Ideally, set it
up in the bedroom near you. Have the dog sleep in it at night. Dogs
are social and like to be around their people. Don't force it into the
crate. Feed your dog in the crate.

CAN THEY BE ABUSED?

Certainly. Anything intended for a dog can be abused. That doesn't
make it wrong; it does mean you need to know what you are doing.
Things to remember:
* The crate must be large enough for the dog to stand and turn
around.
* A puppy should not be left in for more than 3 or 4 hours at a
time.
* An adult dog should not spend more than about 8 hours a day in
one.
* No dog should be forced to remain in a soiled crate. You must
rearrange time spent in the crate to avoid this happening in the
first place.
* Not all dogs require constant crating; most can be slowly weaned
off once they get older and you can trust them more in the house,
* Properly introduce dogs, especially older dogs, to the crate. Most
dogs like their crates, but not all do so immediately.
* Even when you are no longer using the crate regularly, leave it
available for napping. A crate trained dog is always more easily
handled: in the car, at the vets, when travelling, etc.

PRICES AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A plastic airline approved (leakproof) crate will run from $10 to $75
depending on the size. These are the cheapest prices available. If
flying with a dog, most airlines will sell a crate at near-wholesale
prices. Vendors at dog shows often have good prices, especially for
slightly imperfect ones. Pet stores sell them at astronomical prices.
Mail order stores have competitive prices (but watch out for added
shipping costs), and they sell wire mesh cages. Wire mesh is
comparable in price to plastic airline crates, but the sizing is
different.

Wire cages are not as appealing to dogs that like the safe, enclosed
nature of a crate, but they have better ventilation for use in warm
places. You might, for example, have a plastic crate in your house and
a wire one for the car. Since many models fold up, they are also often
easier to transport and store.

The crate should be large enough for the dog to lie down, stand up and
turn around in comfortably, but not large enough for the dog to
relieve itself at one end and sleep at the other. You may buy a crate
sized for an adult dog and block off part of it with a chew-proof
obstacle until the dog grows into it, or you may buy a succession of
crates as the dog grows.

If you use a crate in your car, consider something like the Crate
Mate, which is a heavy pouch that attaches permanently to a plastic
crate. It has a clear window for information about the dog, including
owners name/address/etc./vet info/medication info/etc. All this is in
red thirty point type. There's also room for 3-4 days supply of food,
medication, etc., leashes, collars, even a water bottle. They're in
bright colors so they can't be missed. Order from Custom Dog Supplies
(see Resources) or make your own.

PROPER USE OF A CRATE

Crating a puppy or dog often seems unappealing to humans, but it is
not cruel to the dog. A dog's crate is similar to a child's playpen,
except it has a roof (dogs can jump out of a playpen) and is
chewproof. Also, a crate is not suitable for activity or exercise, but
rather for rest. Dogs are carnivores and do not need to be constantly
active during the daytime, like people (as gatherers) do.

If a crate is properly introduced to a dog (or puppy) the dog will
grow to think of the crate as its den and safe haven. Most dogs that
are crated will use the open crate as a resting place.

The major use of a crate is to prevent the dog from doing something
wrong and not getting corrected for it. It is useless to correct a dog
for something that it has already done; the dog must be "caught in the
act". If the dog is out of its crate while unsupervised, it may do
something wrong and not be corrected, or worse yet, corrected after
the fact. If the dog is not corrected, the dog may develop the problem
behavior as a habit (dogs are creatures of habit), or learn that the
it can get away with the behavior when not immediately supervised. A
dog that rarely gets away with anything will not learn that if nobody
is around it can get away with bad behaviors.

If the dog is corrected after the fact, it will not associate the
correction with the behavior, and will begin to think that corrections
are arbitrary, and that the owner is not to be trusted. This results
in a poorer relationship and a dog that does not associate
corrections, which are believed arbitrary, with bad behaviors even
when they are applied in time. This cannot be overemphasized: a dog's
lack of trust in its owner's corrections is one of the major sources
of problems between dogs and their owners.

A secondary advantage of a crate is that it minimizes damage done by a
dog (especially a young one) to the house, furniture, footwear etc.
This reduces costs and aggravation and makes it easier for the dog and
master to get along. It also protects the dog from harm by its
destruction: ingestion of splinters or toy parts, shock from chewing
through wires, etc.

A young dog should be placed in its crate whenever it cannot be
supervised.

If a dog is trained in puppyhood with a crate, it will not always
require crating. Puppies or untrained dogs require extensive crating.
After a year or so of crate training, many dogs will know what to do
and what not to, and will have good habits. At this time crating might
only be used when the dog needs to be out of the way, or when
traveling.

CRATING DO'S AND DON'TS
* Do think of the crate as a good thing. In time, your dog will too.
* Do let the dog out often enough so that it is never forced to soil
the crate.
* Do let the dog out if it whines because it needs to eliminate. If
you know it doesn't have to eliminate, correct it for whining or
barking.
* Do clean out the crate regularly, especially if you've put in a
floor and you have flea problems.
* Don't punish the dog if it soils the crate. It is miserable enough
and probably had to.
* Don't use the crate as a punishment.
* Don't leave the dog in the crate for a long time after letting it
eat and drink a lot. (because the dog will be uncomfortable and
may have to eliminate in the crate.)
* Don't leave the dog in the crate too much. Dogs sleep and rest a
lot, but not all the time. They need play time and exercise.
* Don't check to see if your dog is trustworthy in the house
(unsupervised, outside of the crate) by letting the dog out of the
crate for a long time. Start with very short periods and work your
way up to longer periods.
* Don't ever let the dog grow unaccustomed to the crate. An
occasional stint even for the best behaved dog will make traveling
and special situations that require crating easier.
* Don't put pillows or blankets in the crate without a good reason.
Most dogs like it cooler than their human companions and prefer to
stretch out on a hard, cool surface. Besides providing a place to
urinate on, some dogs will simply destroy them. A rubber mat or a
piece of peg-board cut to the right size might be a good
compromise (be sure to clean under any floor covering frequently).


_________________________________________________________________

What About Dog Houses?

In general, your dog should sleep with you in your room at night.
However, you may still want to provide it with shelter, etc. if you
leave it outside while you are gone, for example.

DOG HOUSES

A variety are available, and you can make your own. In general, look
for an elevated floor and sturdy construction. The dog house should be
placed where it will be cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Be
sure it is not placed so as to assist escape over the fence. Many
dogs, particularly larger ones, appreciate a flat roof (make sure it
has a slight slope for drainage) that they can lie on when the weather
is hot. Do not be surprised if your dog does not use the dog house. If
you place bedding in the dog house, be sure to clean it frequently,
otherwise pests such as fleas will take up residence.

KENNELS

You may want to construct a kennel or a dog run for your dog. Use
concrete or pea gravel for the floor to improve drainage. Make sure
the run includes a roofed over area for shelter from the elements.
Clean out the pen daily to prevent worms and disease. Secure the water
supply so that the dog can't tip it over (try a galvanized bucket with
a double-ended hook to fasten it to the wall. If you use chain link
fencing, be sure to put runners through it if you will keep a bitch in
season in it to prevent mismating. The height should be sufficient to
prevent jumping or climbing; some breeds are better at this than
others. A reference to consult is:

Migliorini, Mario. Kennel Building and Management. New York, N.Y. :
Howell Book House, 1987.

Contains a bibliography. Useful tips on how to construct a dog run.
It's oriented toward commercial kennels, but contains lots of useful
tips for the dog owner.

BARRIERS

Even if you keep your dog inside, you will want to restrain it from
certain areas of the house. A common way to do this is to use a
child-barrier. Pet stores and mail-order companies stock barriers
sturdy enough for bigger dogs. Examples of restraint might include:
keeping puppies in the kitchen or in areas where there is linoleum,
keeping young dogs in a specific room when going through the teething
stage, keeping your dog downstairs or in the basement, etc.

A common barrier used in dog shows is the x-pen. This is a
eight-sectioned, foldable heavy guage wire fence. The ends are clipped
together to form an approximate 4'X4' square area; or several x-pens
may be clipped together for a larger area. Do not leave a dog alone in
an x-pen; another person should always supervise a dog in an x-pen.
The exception is that this can be suitable to restrain a small puppy
with, especially if the x-pen is propped so that it cannot fall over.

A crate is another restraint, this has already been described above.

BEDDING

You should give your dog its own bed. Try folded up towels for young
puppies. There are a variety of beds for the fully grown dog -- try
any of them. Be careful with cedar-filled beds. There are reports that
cedar reacts with urine to produce poisonous fumes. You should not let
your dog sleep on the bed with you, instead insist that it sleep on
the floor next to the bed.
_________________________________________________________________

Getting A Dog FAQ

[Cindy Tittle Moore]

Archive-name: dogs-faq/health-care
Last-modified: 16 Dec 1994

=======
The latest versions of these FAQ's may be found via the Web at
http://io.com/user/tittle/dogs-faq/homepage.html.

There are nearly 50 FAQ's available for this group. For a complete
listing of these, get the "Complete List of RPD FAQs". This article
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==========

HEALTH CARE ISSUES

Table of Contents

* Prologue
* In General
* Administering Medicine
* Allergies
* Aging
* Bathing
* Dental Care
* Disease Transmission (Zoonoses)
* Ears
* Food
* Incontinence
* Neutering
* Overheating
* Puberty
* Skin Problems
* Temperature
* Trimming Nails
* Vaccinations
* Vomiting
* Worms


_________________________________________________________________

Prologue

Considerable information herein is summarized from Carlson & Giffin,
authors of a home veterinarian handbook. I would like to thank them
for their informative and accessible information. Any mistakes made in
the summaries are my responsibility and not Carlson & Giffin's. I
believe that I am within copyright laws by using summarizations (no
direct quoting, except for the toxic plants section), my own
organization of the material, and precise acknowledgement where
relevant.

This article is presented for informative purposes only, and should
NOT be used to "replace" normal veterinary care. Rather, the
information included is intended to allow you
* to be aware of potential problems,
* to be able to prevent some of these problems, and
* to know when to take your dog in and what to tell your vet.


_________________________________________________________________

In General

Your dog cannot tell you when it feels sick. You need to be familiar
with its normal behavior -- any sudden change may be a signal that
something is wrong. Behavior includes physical and social behavior;
changes in either can signal trouble.

If you familiarize yourself with basic dog care issues, symptoms to
look for, and a few emergency care treatments, you can go a long way
toward keeping your dog healthy. Never attempt to replace vet care
with your own (unless, of course, you are a vet); rather, try to be
knowledgeable enough to be able to give your vet intelligent
information about your dog's condition.

You should know some emergency care for your dog. This is beyond the
scope of the FAQ, as you really need pictures or demonstrations. Check
a home-vet book and ask your vet about them. Some of these include:
* mouth-to-mouth resuscitation
* CPR
* temporary bandages and splints
* inducing vomiting
* a good antiseptic for minor cuts, scrapes, etc.; povidone iodine
(brand name Betadine) is recommended

There are a number of good books that cover basic care for dogs. These
include:

Miller, Harry. The Common Sense Book of Puppy and Dog Care. Bantam
Books, Third Edition (revised) (1987). ISBN: 0-553-27789-8
(paperback).

Includes a section on practical home care, listing major symptoms
you should be alert for, and listing general criteria by which you
can determine a dog's overall healthiness. Discusses major diseases
and problems, gives sketches on what may be wrong given certain
symptoms.

Taylor, David. You and Your Dog. Alfred A. Knopf, New York (1991).
ISBN:0-394-72983-8 (trade paperback).

Taylor gives flow-chart questions to consider when deciding if
symptoms are serious or not. Not as comprehensive as other care
books, but a good start in understanding what you need to look for
when your dog seems off. Includes illustrations of many procedures,
such as teeth cleaning and nail trimming. Informative discussion of
reproductive system, grooming, and dog anatomy.

An *excellent* resource that details all aspects of health issues for
dogs, and one that every conscientious dog owner should have is:

Carlson, Delbert G., DVM, and James M. Giffin, MD. Dog Owners's Home
Veterinary Handbook. Howell Book House, Macmillan Publishing
Company, 866 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022 USA (1980). ISBN:
0-87605-764-4 (hardcover).

This comprehensive book is a complete guide to health care of dogs.
It lets you know when you can treat the dog, or when you need to
take it to the vet post-haste. It lists symptoms so that you may
inform your vet of relevant information about its condition. The
arrangement of the material facilitates rapid reference.
Illustration of key procedures (pilling, taking pulse/temperature,
etc). Lists poisonous substances, including houseplants. A must have
home veterinarian handbood.


_________________________________________________________________

Administering Medicine

There are many devices to aid in administering medicine. In
particular, pill plungers are effective and available by mail order. A
syringe with no needle is good for liquids. Ask your vet for some
other ideas.

PILLS

(summarized from Carlson & Giffin)

Open your dog's mouth and drop the pill down as far back as you can,
on top of and in the center of the tongue. Close the dogs mouth and
hold it shut while stroking the throat until your dog swallows. If it
licks its nose, chances are that it swallowed the pill. Giving it a
treat afterwards helps insure that the pill is swallowed.

You can try hiding the pills in a treat, say cheese or peanut butter.
Pill plungers work well, also.

LIQUIDS

(summarized from Carlson & Giffin)

Tilt the chin up at 45 degrees, and place the neck of the bottle into
the cheek pouch, between the molar teeth and the cheek. Seal the lips
around it with your fingers and pour in the liquid. Large amounts can
be given this way. Hold the muzzle firmly while the dog swallows.
Bottles, syringes and eyedroppers can be used. Your vet can help you
out here.

EYEDROPS

If you must administer eyedrops to your dog and it resists, try the
following trick: stand behind your dog and hold the eye open to
administer the drops. You don't appear as dominating this way.
_________________________________________________________________

Allergies

Dogs can get allergies just like people do. However, symptoms involve
skin problems rather than respiratory distress. Check the skin
problems section over for possible clues toward allergies. A common
culprit is fleas, but dogs can be allergic to many other things,
including some types of food commonly found in dog food.

A good way to have your dog's allergies tested is with a RAST test.
Your vet should know about it and either be able to perform it, or
recommend you to someone who does.
_________________________________________________________________

Aging

Although aging is irreversible, some of the infirmities of an older
dog may in fact be due to disease and therefore correctable or
preventable. It is important for any dog over six years of age to be
examined thoroughly every six months.

In particular, you want regular blood work done on your dog. For
example if kidney function declines, you want to know so that you can
switch to kidney-sensitive diets.

A recently published book is

Hampton, John K. Jr., PhD, and Suzanne Hampton, PhD. Senior Years:
Understanding your Dog's Aging Process. Howell Book House. 1993.
ISBN: 0-87605-734-2.

BEHAVIORAL CHANGES

(summarized from Carlson & Giffin) Older dogs are more complacent,
less energetic and curious. They may be forgetful, and sleep more.
Crankiness and irritability are common. They are less tolerant of
changes in the environment; in particular you may wish to have someone
come by and check the dog at home rather than kennel it when you leave
on vacation. Older dogs in hospitals and kennels go off their feed,
become overanxious, and bark frequently.

PHYSICAL CHANGES

(summarized from Carlson & Giffin)

Loss of muscular tone and lessened activity may result in the neck and
body becoming more bulky, but the legs more thin. Resistance to cold
is impaired and older dogs should always have a warm and draft-free
bed. Arthritic dogs may need a padded surface on which to sleep.

Moderate exercise helps keep the joints supple, and should be
encouraged, but not beyond its ability to do so. Also, some
conditions, such as heart trouble, may necessitate restraining it from
exercise. Toe nails will require more frequent trimming. Stiffening
joints may make it more difficult for the dog to keep its genital and
anal areas clean. The skin may dry out and require some care to keep
it clean and less dry.

Loss of hearing and sight may occur. Tooth and gum disease is fairly
common. Kidney failure and disease is more common (look for increased
thirst and other symptoms of kidney failure). Incontinence (mostly in
older spayed females, treatable with estrogen) may appear.

An older dog needs less calories; the food must be of high quality so
that it still gets the nutrition it needs with fewer calories.

GERIATRIC VESTIBULAR DISORDER

Common in older dogs, apparently something happens neurologically in
the connection between the brain and the inner ear (sometimes
infection, sometimes inflammation). Very little is actually known
about it, but it does tend to subside after about a day or so.
Unfortunately, the dog is generally unable to eat or drink, as it is
completely disoriented.

Dogs rarely show any enduring effects from such an episode other than
sometimes their head leaning or tilting to one side.
_________________________________________________________________

Bathing

You may need to bathe your dog on occasion. The main thing to remember
is that dogs' skin is more delicate than humans. It is much more prone
to drying out when you wash it. Human based shampoos are formulated to
remove all the oils. You need to get one formulated for dogs that will
remove dirt but not the essential oils for the coat. Dogs that are
frequently bathed may require some supplements (such as Linatone or
vegetable oil) to keep their skin and coat healthy.

A condition called impetigo may result from not rinsing all the soap
out. Other general problems, such as fleas that prefer dried-out skin,
may occur.

PROCEDURE

(summarized from Carlson & Giffin)

First, groom your pet to rid its coat of any mats or knots. Bathing
will not remove these and in fact will worsen them. Plug its ears with
cotton to prevent water in the ears. To prevent soap-burn in the eye,
smear the eye area with a little vaseline, or administer a drop of
mineral oil in each eye.

Wet your dog thoroughly. Using a nozzle and spray is much easier.
Using a shampoo formulated for dogs (the pH balance of human shampoos
is wrong), lather and rinse its head carefully, keeping soap and water
out of its eyes and ears. Lather and rinse the rest of its body.
Relather and rinse any other areas that had stubborn stains.

Rinse your dog *thoroughly*, and then rinse it again, even beyond when
you think you've got all the soap out. Try adding Alpha-Keri bath oil
(one teaspoonful per quart water) to the final rinse for coat luster.
Do NOT use vinegar, lemon, or bleach rinses; they are acidic and will
damage the dog's coat and skin.

Dry your dog gently with towels, and keep it indoors until it is
completely dry to avoid chilling.

DRY SHAMPOOS

Dogs with very oily coats may benefit from "dry-cleaning" in between
baths. Calcium carbonate, talcum/baby powder, Fuller's earth, and
cornstarch are all effective. They can be used frequently without fear
of removing essential oils or damaging the coat and skin.

Apply the powder, then brush out, against the lay of the hair, from
the bottom up (toes to head) with a soft bristle brush. Then brush the
whole dog normally to get all the powder out.

TAR

Do not use petroleum solvents, which are extremely harmful, to remove
the tar from your pet's skin. Instead, trim away excess coat
containing tar where possible. Soak remaining tarry parts in vegetable
oil overnight and then give your dog a complete bath.

SAP

Sap (especially pine tree sap) often must simply be trimmed off.
However, some people have had success with Murphy's Oil Soap.
_________________________________________________________________

Dental Care

Owners that practice good dental care with their dog will reap many
benefits in the long run.

TYPICAL PROBLEMS

The most common cause of bad breath is excessive calculus and plaque
deposits on the teeth. Bacteria live and feed in the plaque and
produce gum and bone infection, pain, and bad breath.

Calculus is a crusty collection of food particles, minerals, and
bacteria that forms at the teeth-gum borders.

Plaque formation eventually leads to gum disease, mouth odors,
receding gums and bone destruction and infection. The rate at which
plaque forms in your dog's mouth is mainly due to genetic
predisposition, but can be slowed by daily oral hygiene using
antiplaque liquid or gel and/or pastes and regular professional
cleaning and polishing.

Pyorrhea (inflamed and infected gums) of the teeth is often the cause
of kidney infections and endocarditis in older dogs. The pressure on
the gums and infection of the teeth is quite painful to your dog.

PREVENTIVE STEPS

An antiplaque liquid or gel (Chlorhexidine) can be applied to the gum
tissue with a cotton ball or swab. As an alternative, a soft bristle
toothbrush or finger brush can be used with a non-foaming enzymatic
toothpaste manufactured for dogs.

Treatments should be done daily or at least every other day, depending
on the current problems. Only a few areas are particularly susceptible
to plaque and calculus formation. The areas of greatest concern are
the canines and upper back molars (side facing cheeks).

Chlorhexidine penetrates gum tissue and prevents bacterial growth,
plaque build-up, gingivitis, and bad breath. In addition to the
canines and molars, look at the front incisor teeth and brush away any
accumulation of hair and food at the gum line if present.

To remove existing calculus deposits, your dog will require short
general anesthesia and your dog's teeth will be cleaned with dental
instruments along with an ultra-sonic machine that vibrates the
calculus off the surface of the teeth. Calculus from under the gum
tissue is carefully removed using a hand scaler. Finally, the teeth
are polished to reduce purchase for new deposits. This can often be
done when the dog is under anasthetic for other reasons, such as
neutering.

CAVITIES, ETC

Dogs do not commonly get cavities. When they do occur, it is more
often at the root of the tooth rather than at the crown. Cavities can
lead to root abscesses.

Abscessed roots often cause a swelling just below the animal's eye.
Generally, tooth extractions are needed at this point.

Disease Transmission (Zoonoses)

Zoonotic diseases are those that can be transmitted from animals to
people.

(summarized from Carlson & Giffin)

Any worm infestation has the potential of causing problems in humans.
Standard hygienic precautions will avoid most of these. Things to
watch for: babies getting infected when playing near or on
contaminated soil or feces, working in the garden without gloves.

Rabies, toxoplasmosis, brucellosis, and tetanus (lockjaw) can all
affect both dogs and humans. Again, simple hygienic precautions will
avoid most problems.
_________________________________________________________________

Ears

Your dog's ears should be clean, slighly pink-gray and have no odor.
Problems with the ear to watch for include:
* Red, irritated skin
* Dirt or wax build up
* Discharge
* Foul odor
* Frequent head shaking, or scratching/pawing at ear(s).

The most common problems with ears are ear infections and ear mites.
If an odor is involved, it's likely an infection (and not contagious
to other dogs); if the "dirt" in the ears turns red when you get it
wet, it's probably ear mites (which can spread from dog to dog). In
any case, any of the above symptoms are grounds for having the vet
check your dog's ears out.

Ear mites are treated with medication. Sometimes a reapplication is
needed. Some people have gotten rid of light infestations by cleaning
the ear out and then coating lightly with baby oil or mineral oil.

Ear infections are a little harder to treat, usually requiring daily
ear drops for a week or so, weekly drops for some time after that.
Some dogs prone to ear infections need to have ear drops on a regular
basis. Drop-eared dogs are a bit more prone to ear infections, as
prick ears normally allow more air circulation.

An easy home remedy to *prevent* ear infections (will not cure an
existing one) is:

2 T Boric Acid
4 oz Rubbing Alcohol
1 T Glycerine

Shake well. Put 1 small eyedropperfull in each ear. Rub it around
first, and then let the dog shake. Do this once a week and you
shouldn't see any ear infections. It works by raising the pH level
slightly inside the ear, making it less hospitable to bacteria.

To clean out an ear that's simply dirty (some buildup of dirt and wax
is normal, but excessive ear wax may indicate that something else is
wrong), take a cotton ball, dip in hydrogen peroxide if you like
(squeeze excess out) and wipe the dog's ear out. The canal is rather
deep, so you will not injure your dog so long as you only use your
finger to probe the canal. Clean all around the little crevices as
best as you can. Use another cotton ball for the other ear.
_________________________________________________________________

Food

There are many dog food formulations out there, ranging from
inexpensive grocery-brands to expensive premium food. You should find
out what suits your dog best: while many dogs have done just fine on
dog chow, others do much better with other foods such as Nature's
Recipe, Iams, Pro-Plan, etc.

The theory behind the more expensive foods is that they are more
digestible and contain less "bulk" and "fill." Hence, your dog will
eat less in volume (and thus the extra cost of the food is somewhat
offset) and excrete small and firm stools. You may need to experiment
to find out how your dog does on different brands. Dogs vary in their
individual reactions.

Food should be fed once or twice a day. Put the food down and take it
up again after ten to twenty minutes regardless of whether your dog
has finished eating it. This discourages "picky eating" and lets you
be certain of exactly how much food your dog is eating. Frequently, a
problem is first indicated when your dog's feeding goes off, so
scheduled feeding like this (rather than free feeding) will tip you
off to potential problems right away.

The larger or younger your dog is, the better multiple daily feedings
are; simply divide up each day's portion into individual feedings.
Fresh water should always be available, and changed at least once a
day.

VEGETABLES

Many dogs appreciate vegetables. In particular if your dog is fond of
munching on the grass, you can often alleviate this by feeding
vegetables to your dog. Stick with fresh, raw foods: carrots, broccoli
and cauliflower stems, apple cores, etc are popular. Stay away from
potatoes and onions.

PEOPLE FOOD

Feeding your dog "people food," i.e., table scraps and such is a poor
idea. First, you may encourage your dog to make a pest of itself when

you are eating. Second, feeding a dog table scraps is likely to result
in an overweight dog. Third, if your dog develops the habit of gulping

down any food it can get, it may seriously poison or distress itself
someday.

EATING PROBLEMS: GULPING, ETC.

For a dog that gulps the food down so rapidly that gas is a result,
you can slow down the rate of eating by putting large, clean rocks
(3-4" diameter) in the dish along with the food.
_________________________________________________________________

Incontinence

The most common occurrence of incontinence is in the older spayed
bitch. Most often this is due to a hormonal imbalance and as such is
easily treated in one of two drugs. The traditional way is with doses
of DES (estrogen). Typically, the dosage is varied until the
incontinence stops, and often the dosage can be later reduced
altogether. Another method of treatment is with phenylpropanolamine
(PPA, brand name Dexatrim) which tightens all the muscles.

DES replaces the hormones, restoring the hormonal balance. PPA works
independently of the hormones and as such, may introduce new problems.
Both drugs are known to cause problems and side effects, although
typically, the level of dosage that DES is administered at for
incontinence will not cause problems. At high dosages, DES is thought
to be linked with breast cancer and obesity. Since PPA tightens all
muscles in the body, it can potentially cause serious side effects,
especially with the heart. There is speculation that PPA is often
prescribed at dosages too high for dogs. In humans, PPA is not advised
when thyroid levels are low; this might also be a problem with dogs.

Which drug is safer for your particular spayed bitch depends on the
particular dog and her particular veterinary history. What's best for
one dog might be bad for another, depending on what other veterinary
conditions or susceptibilities she has.
_________________________________________________________________

Neutering

If you are not planning to breed your pet or put it to stud service,
or your dog's breeding days are over, you will want to neuter it.
There are a number of health benefits associated with neutering, for
either sex.

Technically, the general term for either sex is neutering; bitches are
spayed and dogs are castrated. However, general usage is that bitches
are spayed or neutered and dogs are neutered.

Neutering is *not* a solution to behavioral problems; training is.
However with some dogs it can alleviate some factors that make it more
difficult to train. But you cannot expect to neuter your dog and have
it turn into an angel without any work.

Tip: let your dog eliminate before taking it in and again after
getting it back. Many dogs, especially crate-trained dogs, will not
eliminate in the vet's kennels during their stay.

CASTRATION

Dogs are castrated. A general anesthetic is administered, the
testicles are removed (oriectomy) and several stitches are used to
close it up. The scrotum will shrink and soon disappear after
castration. You will want to neuter the dog around six months of age,
although dogs can be neutered at any time after this. For example stud
dogs are typically neutered after they are too old to breed, and they
suffer no ill effects. Some clinics may use a local anesthetic
instead.

SPAYING

Bitches are spayed; this is an ovario-hysterectomy (uterus and ovaries
are removed). She must be put under general anesthesia. A large patch
of fur will be shaved (to prevent later irritation of the incision)
off the lower abdomen. You may have to take your bitch back in to
remove the stitches. From a health point of view, the earlier the
bitch is spayed, the better. Ideally, she should be spayed before her
first heat, this reduces the risk of reproductive and related cancer
(e.g., breast cancer) later in life considerably; not to mention
guaranteeing no unwanted puppies. The most dramatic rise in risk of
cancer occurs after the second heat or two years of age, whichever
comes first before spaying. After that, while the risk is high, it
does not rise further.

POST-OP RECOVERY

You will need to watch to make sure your dog does not try to pull out
its stitches, and consult your vet if it does. You might, in
persistent cases, need to get an Elizabethan collar to prevent the
animal from reaching the stitches. Puffiness, redness, or oozing
around the stitches should be also reported to the vet. Some stitches
"dissolve" on their own; others require a return to the vet for
removal.

For further information on how neutering may affect your dog, see the
section on neutering in Assorted Topics.

COST

The cost can vary widely, depending on where you get it done. There
are many pet-adoption places that will offer low-cost or even free
neutering services, sometimes as a condition of adoption. Local animal
clinics will often offer low-cost neutering. Be aware that spaying
will always cost more than castrating at any given place since spaying
is a more complex operation. Vets almost always charge more than
clinics, partly because of overhead, but also because they often keep
the animal overnight for observation and will do free followup on any
later complications. Larger animals will cost more than smaller ones.

Pet Assistance has a program to help you locate low-cost neutering.
There may be an 800 number, but the San Diego number is 619-697-7387.
They can refer you to a veterinarian in your area who will perform
low-cost spaying or neutering.

EFFECT ON BEHAVIOR

There is an extensive discussion on the effect neutering has on a
dog's behavior in the Assorted Topics chapter of the FAQ. In summary,
no one really knows, and for every example presented, a
counter-example can be made.
_________________________________________________________________

Overheating

Dogs are not as good as people in shedding excess heat. You should
take general care during hot and summer weather that your dog does not
get too hot. Make sure shade and water is available and that there is
some fresh air. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR DOG IN A CAR on a hot day! Cars heat
up much more quickly than you think and that one inch or so of open
window will not help. If you park in the shade, the sun may move more
quickly than you think. A water-filled pump sprayer can help keep your
dog cool. But your best bet is to prevent overheating.

Heatstroke is indicated by some or more of the following symptoms:
* rapid or heavy breathing
* bright red tongue
* thick saliva
* vomiting
* bloody diarrhea
* unsteadiness
* hot, dry nose
* legs, ears hot to touch
* extreme: glassy-eyed, grey lips

Wet the dog down gradually using cool, not cold water. Get it out of
direct sunlight. Give it a little cool water to drink at a time. Cold
compresses to the belly and groin helps. Get the dog to the vet. A dog
that has had heatstroke before can be prone to getting it again.
_________________________________________________________________

Puberty

BITCHES

In general, a bitch can start her first estrus, or "heat" between the
ages of 6 months to 18 months. If you know when her dam first went
into heat, that will give you a good indication of what to expect with
your puppy. It is often felt that the larger breeds take longer to
enter heat than the smaller ones felt, but familial patterns, if
known, are a more reliable indicator.

The first signs of estrus include: a small amount of clear discharge,
a modest swelling of the vulva (the external genital fold), and
increased licking of the area. Some bitches have a shortened attention
span. This period can last from 4 to 14 days. Other dogs will show an
interest in licking the area (as opposed to just smelling it) as well.


The next stage includes bloody discharge, which can be anything from a
few spots of blood to leaving a trail behind as they go, and increased
swelling of the vulva. The nipples will enlargen somewhat. This period
can last anywhere from 4-14 days as well. At the end of this stage,
the vulva is at maximal size.

At this point the bitch is fertile and ready to be bred, and will
accept male dogs. This stage lasts for several days. After the first
heat cycle, the bitch's vulva and nipples will shrink down, but not to
the puppy size that they were before.

However, there is much individual variation. Some bitches can show
little or no sign of being in season throughout much of their estrus
cycle. Some will always accept male dogs (even when they are not yet
fertile) and others never accept them.

Spaying is generally done when the bitch is not in season. The
increased vascularity (higher blood flow) in the organs makes the
operation more risky. In addition, such an operation would alter the
balance of hormones in the dog's body rather abruptly, a potential
source of problems. However, it can be done, and often is if the bitch
winds up unintentionally pregnant, for example.

DOGS

Male puppies are born with undescended testicles, just like human
males. Somewhere between 4 months to a year, the testicles will
descend, although you should be able to feel the testicles from about
7 weeks onward. At about this time the levels of testosterone are
peaking. An intact male dog between 10 and 12 months of age has about
five times the testosterone level he will have in his final adult
intensity, if he is not neutered!

Male puppies will urinate like female puppies (by squatting) until
about the time their testicles descend, and then will generally start
to urinate standing up. Initial confusion is normal at this stage: be
prepared for the puppy to raise the wrong leg, try to raise both legs,
try to walk at the same time, or even try to use people as a "post"!
You can encourage him to restrict his marking by praising him when he
marks an acceptable item and scolding him when he is not. Discourage
him from marking when you are on a walk; get him to mark around your
yard as much as possible. (Marking, as opposed to urinating, is when
only a small amount of urine is deposited.) Neutering early may or may
not affect this behavior.

If a dog has only one testicle, he is monorchid. If he has one
undescended testicle, he is cryptorchid (unilateral); two undescended
and he is cryptorchid (bilateral). Popular but incorrect usage calls
the dog with one undescended testicle monorchid and two undescended
cryptorchid. Granted, you may not be able to tell whether a dog is
monorchid or has unlateral cryporchidsm without exploratory surgery.
Undescended testicles often become cancerous and should be removed.
Furthermore, such dogs should not be bred since the condition is
hereditary.
_________________________________________________________________

Skin Problems

Remember that a dog's skin is composed of only one layer, so it is
much more delicate than a human's skin, which has three layers. A
dog's skin depends on the hair and oils on it to keep it in good
condition.

Some preventive steps:
* Keep your dog properly fed to prevent dry skin
* When bathing your dog, use dog-formulated shampoo to prevent dry
skin
* Groom your dog regularly; some problems are caused by matted hair
providing breeding grounds for a variety of skin diseases, regular
grooming also helps keep you aware of any incipient problems
* Keep your dog flea and parasite free
* Check your dog regularly for foxtails, burrs, and other sharp
objects it may pick up when outside

RELIEVING DRY SKIN

Some things to try:
* Shampoos with lanolin
* A good soak in cool water
* Non-drying shampoo: eg, Hy-Lyt EFA is non-allergenic
* Medicated shampoos may help with allergy-induced problems
* Avon's Skin-So-Soft(tm) added to the rinse water

ALLERGIES FOLLOWED BY STAPH INFECTIONS

Once a dog has an allergic reaction, it is quite common to have a
secondary staph infection. Many vets aren't familiar with this. The
staph infection may stay around long after the allergy is gone.

A vet that specializes in dermatology can be of great help in dealing
with skin problems. See if your vet can refer you to such a person.

Some studies on primrose and fish oil in helping relieve or cure
secondary infections from allergies are documented in DM, March 1992.
More information may also be obtained from writing to the RVC
Dermatology Dept, Royal College St, London. NW1.

SUMMARY TABLE

It is beyond the scope of this FAQ to examine any of these skin
problems in great detail, but here is a summary table of possible
problems. Summarized from the summary tables in Carlson & Giffin,
pages 67-69.

Itchy Skin Disorders

Name Symptoms
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Scabies | *intense* itching, small red spots, typical crusty ear tips
------------+----------------------------------------------------------------
Walking | puppies 2-12wks, dry flakes move from head to neck to back,
Dandruff | mild itchiness
------------+----------------------------------------------------------------
Fleas | itching/scratching on back, tail, hindquarters
------------+----------------------------------------------------------------
Lice | on poorly kept/matted coat dogs, uncommon, may have bald spots
------------+----------------------------------------------------------------
Ticks | irritation at site of bite, often beneath ear flaps or thin skin
------------+----------------------------------------------------------------
Damp Hay | severe itch from worm larvae, contacted from damp marsh hay
Itch | (regional)
------------+----------------------------------------------------------------
Inhalation | severe itch, face rubbing, licking paws, seasonal
Allergy | also regional
------------+----------------------------------------------------------------
Flea Allergy| scratching continues after fleas killed, pimple rash
Dermatitis |
------------+----------------------------------------------------------------
Contact | itching/irritation at site of contact
Dermatitis |
------------+----------------------------------------------------------------
Allergic | repeated or continuous contact (eg flea collar),
Contact Derm. rash may spread
------------+----------------------------------------------------------------
Lick sores | "boredom sores", licking starts at wrists/ankles
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hormone-related Hair Loss or Poor Hair Growth

Name Symptoms
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thyroid | loss of hair
Deficiency | (see Canine Ailments)
------------+----------------------------------------------------------------
Cortisone | hair loss in symmetrical pattern, esp. trunk, skin is thin
Excess | may also be from steroid treatments
------------+----------------------------------------------------------------
Estrogen | greasy hair, hair loss in flanks/abdomen, wax in ears, loss of
excess | hair around genitals, enlargened nipples, dry skin, brittle hair
------------+----------------------------------------------------------------
Estrogen | scanty hair growth, smooth soft skin
deficiency |
------------+----------------------------------------------------------------
Acanthosis | hair loss in armpit folds, black thick greasy rancid skin
Nigrans |
------------+----------------------------------------------------------------
Seborrhea | "dandruff", hair/skin oily, yellow brown scales on skin,
| resembles ringworm
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Other Hair Loss, etc

Name Symptoms
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Collie Nose | sunburn on lightly pigmented nose, loss of hair next to nose
------------+----------------------------------------------------------------
Ringworm | scaly/crusty/red circular patches .5-2in diameter w/hair loss
| in center and red margin at edge (not from a worm)
------------+----------------------------------------------------------------
Demodectic | hair loss around eyelids, mouth, front leg, young dogs
mange #1 |
------------+----------------------------------------------------------------
Demodectic | progression of #1, patches enlarge & coalesce, pyoderma
mange #2 | complications, affects all ages
------------+----------------------------------------------------------------
Calluses, | gray/hairless/wrinkled skin over elbow, pressure points
elbow sores |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

With Pus Drainage (Pyoderma)

Name Symptoms
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Puppy | impetigo: pus filled blisters, crusty hairless skin
Dermatitis | on abdomen, groin; acne: purple-red bumps on chin, lower lip
------------+----------------------------------------------------------------
Hair pore | pimple-like bumps on back, sometimes draining sinus,
infection | hair loss
------------+----------------------------------------------------------------
Skin Wrinkle| inflamed skin, foul odor in lip fold, facial fold,
Infection | vulvar fold, tail fold
------------+----------------------------------------------------------------
Hot Spots | in heavy coated dogs, painful inflamed patches of skin with
| a wet, pus covered surface from which hair is lost
------------+----------------------------------------------------------------
Cellulitis | painful hot inflamed skin (wound infections, foreign bodies,
| breaks in skin)
------------+----------------------------------------------------------------
Abscesses | pockets of pus beneath the skin, swells, comes to a head & drains
------------+----------------------------------------------------------------
Puppy | under 4mos, sudden painful swelling of lips, eyelids,
Strangles | ears and face, draining sores, crusts, and sinus tracts
| (prompt vet attention required, do not pop "acne")
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lumps or Bumps on/beneath Skin

(all lumps should be checked by vet even if not apparently painful)

Name Symptoms
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Papillomas, | anywhere, including mouth, not painful
Warts | can look like chewing gum stuck to skin
------------+----------------------------------------------------------------
Hematomas | (bruises) - esp. on ears, from trauma
------------+----------------------------------------------------------------
Tender Knots| esp. at site of shot or vaccination, painful
------------+----------------------------------------------------------------
Cysts | smooth lumps beneath skin, slow growth, possible cheesy
| discharge, possible infection, otherwise not painful
------------+----------------------------------------------------------------
Possibly | rapid growth, hard & fixed to surrounding tissue,
cancerous | any lump from a bone, starts to bleed, a mole that spreads or
lump | ulcerates, open sores that do not heal (only way to tell for
| sure is a biopsy)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

DIAGNOSING

Skin problems are not easy to diagnose and cure, but there is a lot of
research going on. Something that can help is to keep a diary for the
dog. Every day, record what the dog ate, what the weather was like,
whether it is itching or not, and anything else that might be relevant
(visitors, for instance, when it is bathed, and so forth). It's
sometimes hard to recall all the variables that might be affecting the
dog, but if you keep a diary, sometimes patterns become very clear.
_________________________________________________________________

Temperature

Normal temperature range for a dog is 100 to 103 degrees Fahrenheit.
Because dogs regulate their temperature less efficiently than people
do, there is more variation in "normal" temperature. Your dog's
temperature will be higher just after exercise, on a hot day, while
snuggled under a blanket, etc.

Dogs' temperatures are normally taken rectally. Try a digital read-out
rectal thermometer, available at any drug store. Put a little Vaseline
or KY Jelly on the tip, insert gently into the rectum (not too far),
and hold for a minute or so. The digital model has a beeper that goes
off when "done." The thermometer is easy to clean with soap & water or
wipe with alcohol.
_________________________________________________________________

Trimming Nails

Most dogs need to have nails trimmed at some point. While the vet will
often clip them for you, many dogs need their nails trimmed more often
than that to prevent injuries and other problems associated with
overgrown nails.

A tip: Look for illustrations of dog nails. Most dog care books will
have one. Cardinal (a dog products vendor) provides a small poster
that illustrates not only normal nail clipping but also how to
gradually work back the length of nails that have grown too long and
is quite informative.

CLIPPING

Use nail clippers available at pet stores. Look for the guillotine
type (don't use the human variety, this will crush and injure your
dog's nail) and get blade replacements as the sharper the blade is the
easier this procedure is. There is another kind that looks like
scissors with hooked tips that are also good, and may be easier to
handle (however, the blades cannot be replaced on this type).

Before cutting the nails, examine them carefully. If the nails are are
white, the difference between the nail and the pink quick is easy to
see (use good lighting). If the nails are dark, it will be much harder
to tell where the quick is, in which case you must take care.

If your dog resists having its nails trimmed, try trimming them while
you sit on a couch with the dog on its back in your lap. By putting
the dog on its back, you make the nails accessible and put the dog in
a submissive position where they are less apt to fight. As with many
things, this is easiest if you start while your dog is still a pup.

If the cutter is sharp, the nails won't crack if you cut at right
angles to the nail. that is, hold it so that the blades are on the top
and bottom of the nail, not to the sides of the nail.

Do not cut below the quick. It will be painful to your dog and bleed
everywhere. When in doubt, trim less of the nail. It will just mean
trimming more often. Clip the portion above the quick for each nail
and don't forget the dewclaws. Keep a styptic pencil on hand to
staunch any blood flow. Flour or cornstarch will help in a pinch.

Dewclaws are a "fifth" toe, positioned as a "thumb" to the rest of the
nails and they do not touch the ground. Not all dogs have them, and
they may be found on the front legs only or on all four legs. Many
dogs have their dewclaws removed when they are puppies to prevent
infection resulting from easily injured dewclaws. Some adult dogs that
regularly tear their dewclaws should have them removed. While they
take longer to heal than three-day old puppies that have had theirs
removed do, the pain of periodically tearing them and going in to the
vet to have them bandaged back up makes the surgery worth while.

GRINDING

The nail grinder avoids the potential problems of cutting the quick,
nails cracking, and sharp edges afterwards. The nails can also be
thinned, allowing the quick to recede, resulting in shorter nails and
a tighter paw.

RC Steele and other mail-order companies sell them for about $45. One
model is the Oster Pet Nail Groomer, Model 129, with two speeds. Some
dogs may be spooked by the noise. It may help to watch someone who
knows how to use it first.

FILING

You can use a wood rasp and file your dog's nails down. Also, if you
clip them, using a plain file afterwards helps smooth the edges down
and keep them neat. You can use "people files" or purchase files
shaped for this purpose.
_________________________________________________________________

Vaccinations

REGULARLY SCHEDULED SHOTS

An indispensable part of keeping your dog healthy is to keep its
vaccinations up-to-date. A table, lifted from Carlson & Giffin, shows
all the major vaccinations (at minimum) that a dog in the US should
have. Conditions in your area may necessitate additional shots; ask
your vet about them as they may not always be routinely included in
normal shot programs. DHLPP is a combination shot: Distemper, (Canine)
Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, (Canine) Parainfluenza, (Canine) Parvovirus.

Age Vaccine Recommended
--------------------------------------------------------------
5-8 wks | Distemper - measles - CPI
------------------+-------------------------------------------
14-16 wks | DHLPP, Rabies
------------------+-------------------------------------------
12 mos & annually | DHLPP
------------------+-------------------------------------------
12 mos & | Rabies
3 yr intervals |
--------------------------------------------------------------

VACCINATION FAILURE

Vaccinations may fail under the following conditions:
* vaccinations are improperly administered (should always be by or
supervised by a vet)
* the dog has some innate inability to respond
* the dog has already been exposed to the disease in question
* the puppy is too young for the vaccination to "take"

OTHER VACCINES

Not an exhaustive list: Other vaccines and preventives should also be
given such as heartworm, Lyme disease, etc, when needed. Heartworm
prevention should begin around 5 months, but then it depends on where
you live. Those living in warmer, damper areas with higher
concentration of heartworm may want to start earlier. Lyme disease
vaccine instructions recommend giving it around 12 weeks; Bordatella
vaccines (for Kennel cough) around 6 months or earlier depending on
risk.

VACCINE OVERLOAD?

Be sure your dog is safe and vaccinated against everything you think
the dog may be exposed to, however, don't overload its system! You can
do more harm than good by vaccinating your dog for everything all at
once than if you stagger the vaccinations and let the individual
immunities build up gradually.

UP-TO-DATE ON SHOTS?

Do you know what it means when your vet tells you your dog has ALL its
shots? Chances are, your dog isn't. Stay informed and read up in some
of the dog literature about what types of vaccinations your dog should
have. Then make sure your vet has administered vaccines for the
appropriate things -- it's up to YOU to make sure your dog has *all*
its shots, not your vet.

For an interesting article on vaccinations, see the May 1992 issue of
Dog World. Another thoughtful article by Christine Wilford, DVM is
in Gazette, January 1994.
_________________________________________________________________

Vomiting

One of the most common and non-specific symptoms that a dog can have.
You must look at how and what it is vomiting. If your dog vomits once
or twice and then seems its normal self, it is probably not serious.

NON-SERIOUS CAUSES

(summarized from Carlson & Giffin)

Most commonly: overeating. Animals that gulp their food and
immediately exercise (esp. puppies) are likely to vomit. This is not
serious. Feeding in smaller portions more often helps eliminate this
problem. In particular, if the vomit looks like a solid tube of
partially or non digested food, your dog ate too fast.

Note that eating grass or other indigestible material is also a common
cause of vomiting.

TYPES OF VOMITING

(summarized from Carlson & Giffin)

Repeated vomiting:
Its last meal is first vomited. Then a clear, frothy liquid.
This suggests a stomach irritant. Grass, spoiled food, other
indigestibles, and certain infectious illnesses (such as
gastroenteritis) all cause irritation of the stomach lining.

Sporadic vomiting:
The dog vomits off and on, but not continuously. No
relationship to meals, poor appetite. Haggard appearance and
listlessness may indicate an internal organ disorder, a chronic
illness, a heavy worm infestation, or diabetes. A thorough
checkup is called for.

Vomiting blood:
Fresh blood indicates a break in the mucus lining somewhere
between the mouth and the upper small bowel. Common causes are
foreign bodies, tumors and ulcers. Material which looks like
coffee grounds is old, partly digested blood -- the problem is
somewhere in the stomach or duodenum. Vomiting blood is always
serious and requires a trip to the vet.

Fecal vomiting:
If the vomit is foul and smells like feces, there is an
obstruction somewhere in the intestinal tract. Blunt or
penetrating abdominal trauma is another cause. The dog will
become rapidly dehydrated with this type of vomiting and
requires vet attention.

Projectile vomiting:
The vomit is forcefully expelled, sometimes for a distance of
several feet. It is indicative of complete blockage in the
upper gastrointestinal tract. Foreign bodies, hairballs,
duodenal ulcers, tumors and strictures are possible causes.
Intracranial pressure can also cause projectile vomiting,
causes can be brain tumor, encephalitis, and blood clots. Take
the dog to the vet.

Vomiting foreign objects:
Includes bone splinters, rubber balls, (pieces of) toys, sticks
and stones. Sometimes worms. You may want to have the vet check
your pet for any other foreign objects, although not all of
these will show up readily on x-ray scans.

Emotional or Stress vomiting:
Sometimes excited or upset dogs vomit. Remove the dog from the
source of distress. If it is something it will encounter often,
you will have to train the dog to remain calm around the
source.

Motion sickness:
Vomits in the car. Most dogs will outgrow this problem. Check
with your vet if it does not. See Carsickness in Assorted
Topics for further comments.


_________________________________________________________________

Worms

SUMMARY

Worm Symptoms
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
roundworms | pot belly, dull coat, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of weight
------------+----------------------------------------------------------------
hookworms | anemia, diarrhea, bloody stools (esp. puppies)
------------+----------------------------------------------------------------
tapeworms | "rice" on anal area or in stools, possible diarrhea/vomiting
------------+----------------------------------------------------------------
whipworms | loss of weight, some diarrhea, difficult to detect
------------+----------------------------------------------------------------
threadworms | profuse watery diarrhea, lung infection symptoms (esp. puppies)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

PREVENTING WORMS

(summarized from Carlson & Giffin.)

The best way to deal with worms, of course, is to make use of worm
prevention techniques.

Most worms have a lifecycle that makes it easy to reinfest dogs
because only part of that lifecycle is on the dog. Steps you can take
to control worms in general:
* If you have a kennel, do not use dirt. A water tight surface that
can be hosed down is best; gravel works also. Remove stools from
pens daily.
* Lawns should be kept short and watered only when necessary. Remove
stools from the yard daily.
* Control fleas, lice, and rodents, as all these pests can be
intermediate hosts for tapeworms.
* Do not let your dog roam, as it may ingest tainted meat. Any meat
fed to your dog must be thoroughly cooked.

PUPPIES

Most puppies have worms, as some immunity to worms only comes after
six months of ages and the mother will infect them with her dormant
worm larvae. Puppies should be wormed at 2-3 weeks and again at 4-6
weeks. You should be especially vigilant for worms while your puppy is
still growing; a bad case of worms can seriously interfere with its
development. Bring fresh fecal samples in regularly to the vet for
analysis.
_________________________________________________________________

Heath Care Issues FAQ

[Cindy Tittle Moore]

Archive-name: dogs-faq/misc/part1
Last-modified: 29 Nov 1994

=======
The latest versions of these FAQ's may be found via the Web at
http://io.com/user/tittle/dogs-faq/homepage.html.

The multiple parts of the FAQ are all archived at rtfm.mit.edu
(18.181.0.24) in the directory /pub/usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq. The
files are: introduction, getting-a-dog, new-puppy, new-dog,
health-care, breeding, medical-info/part1, medical-info/part2,
training, behavior, obedience, activities/flyball, working, service,
kennel-clubs/AKC, misc/part1, misc/part2, publications and resources.
To obtain the files, first try ftp to rtfm.mit.edu and look under that
directory. If ftp does not work from your site, then try the mail
server: send email to mail-...@rtfm.mit.edu with

send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/introduction
send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/getting-a-dog
send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/new-puppy
send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/new-dog
send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/health-care
send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/breeding
send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/medical-info/part1
send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/medical-info/part2
send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/training
send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/behavior
send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/activities/flyball
send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/obedience
send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/working
send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/service
send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/kennel-clubs/AKC
send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/misc/part1
send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/misc/part2
send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/publications
send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/resources
send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/rescue/part1
send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/rescue/part2

in the body of the message (leave the subject line empty). If you
don't want all of them, include only the lines of the ones you want.
You do have to repeat the path information for each file.

There is a FAQ dealing with the grief of losing a pet. It is
generalized for all pets, and is archived at rtfm.mit.edu under
/pub/usenet/news.answers/pets/pet-loss, or
"sent usenet/news.answers/pets/pet-loss" to the mail-server.

Finally, there is a FAQ on fleas and ticks. It is not included with
the dog FAQs because it is generalized for dogs AND cats. However, it
is also archived at rtfm.mit.edu, under
/pub/usenet/news.answers/pets/fleas-ticks for ftp, or
"send usenet/news.answers/pets/fleas-ticks" to the mail-server.
==========

ASSORTED TOPICS (Part I).

A. A New Baby.
B. Docking and Cropping.
C. Dog Food Analyses and Comparisons.
D. Dog Parks.
E. Dog Vision.
F. Early Neutering.
G. Example of a Spay/Neuter Contract.
H. Facts and Opinions about Neutering.
I. Finding a Home for a Dog.
J. Guard or Protection Dogs.
K. Hiking and Backpacking with your Dog.
L. Holidays with your Dog
M. Housetraining Topics.
N. Invisible and Electric Fences. (fences in general)
O. Commercial Kennels

(Part I)

A. A New Baby.

Introduce the dog to all the new things you get for a new baby: let it
investigate the crib, baby clothes and that sort of thing. Dogs
generally seem to know that something is up, especially as the woman
gets closer to her time.

After the baby is born, but before you bring it home, see if you can
take something home for the dog to smell, like a blanket or an
undershirt the baby had on. Let the dog smell it thoroughly.

When the baby comes home, try to hold everything else normal, feeding
time, any morning walks, the like. When you bring the baby in, put
the dog on a down-stay and introduce the dog to the baby. Have one of
the parents hold the baby in their lap and let the dog sniff the baby.
Let it lick the baby if you're up to that, but do NOT let the dog
nuzzle (push with its nose) or paw at the baby. It is important to
introduce the dog to the baby. This makes it clear to the dog that
the baby is a new member of the pack. If you exclude the dog from the
baby, it may try to attack this "non-member" to protect its pack.

Include the dog in the daily routine with the baby. Give it the same,
if not a little more, amount of attention it always got. You do not
want it to feel like it has been displaced or ignored in favor of the
baby.

B. Docking and Cropping.

Docking is the practice of removing a dog's tail. Cropping is the
removal of a good portion of its ears so that they stand up.
Typically, these procedures are done when the dog is very young,
several weeks of age.

The practices have their origin hundreds of years ago when dogs were
cropped and docked to prevent injury to those extremities. Ears can
be vulnerable in fights, tails can be vulnerable to underbrush when
hunting. For certain breeds, docking and cropping is required by the
breed standard. The exception is in countries that outlaw the
practice, such as the United Kingdom and Australia.

Today, there is little practical use for docking and cropping a dog.
There are movements to change breed standards to reflect this,
although some people feel very strongly the other way.

There is at least one practical reason to have some hunting dogs'
tails docked. A hunter once described his experiences with a hunting
dog he decided not to dock -- and was horrified several years later
with the sores that the dog would pick up on hunting trips. He then
had the tail docked, but of course the procedure is more painful to an
adult dog. If your dog does not hunt, this is moot.

C. Dog Food Analyses and Comparisons.

Dog nutrition seems to be almost as much a religion as it is a
science. Different breeders will feed 1/2 Purina Pro-Plan and 1/2
Pedigree, another will cook homemade food, and yet others use Nutro
Max, Eukanuba, etc. for their puppies. Thumbing through the
Rottweiler Quarterly yields breeders using Eagle, Purina Pro Plan,
Science Diet, Nature's Recipe, Natural Life, Nutro Max and several
others. Even if you can find the best food for one dog it may or may
not be the best food for the next one.

The Colorado State University Vet hospital did some studies of the
various food. This was a few years back. They tested foods like
Science Diet, generic, Purina, Waynes, and lots of others. Waynes
came out ahead in nutrition. You might try contacting the Vet school
for a copy of the research.

The following is from Helen M. Berschneider, DVM, Assistant Professor
of Physiology, who is a "Puppy Food Expert" at NCSU College of
Veterinary Medicine, in an October 8, 1991 written reply:

Part of the confusion over whether or not a puppy should get puppy
food may stem from the definitions of "puppy chow", "growth" food,
"maintenance" food and "all purpose" dog chow. The definitions of the
terms actually refer to the purposes of the diets. One of the
requirements on the label of any pet food is a statement of purpose,
so it is possible to determine the type of food it is from the label.
Good quality puppy or growth food are specially formulated and tested
for their effectiveness in supporting proper growth and good health in
growing dogs from weaning to adulthood. Maintenance foods are
formulated to provide adequate nutrition for the mature dog engaged in
moderate activity, but do not necessarily provide the proper nutrient
balance for growth. Maintenance foods should not be confused with
"All Purpose" foods. All purpose dog foods are intended to meet or
exceed the nutrient requirements for all stages of the dog's life from
weaning to old age, not just adulthood. These foods can be identified
by some statement such as: "Complete nutrition for the entire life of
your dog." Purina Dog Chow is one example of such a food. Based on
these definitions, the answer to your question is YES, in most cases a
puppy should be fed puppy food until he reaches ninety percent of his
expected adult weight. This will be less than a year for small breeds
and up to eighteen months for the giant breeds. However, most puppies
should also do just find on an "all purpose" food, as well. By
definition, these foods must be formulated to meet or exceed the
nutritional requirements of all life stages, including growth.

This has probably answered your basic question, but I thought that
some additional information might help you in your discussions with
other dog owners. Comparing dog foods can be a tricky business and
given the complete lack of substantial information on the product
label, it can be almost impossible for the average consumer. Before
comparing foods you need to consider how the dogs eat the food. Dogs
do not care how many pounds of food you give them as long there is
sufficient energy in the bowls to meet their needs. Put another way,
dogs eat calories, not cups or pounds. If you have two foods, A and
B, and A has 2000 kcal per pound while B has 1000 kcal per pound, a
dog that requires 1000 kcal of energy per day will eat one pound of
food B but only a half pound of food A. The point here is that in
order to compare foods, you have to compare them based on the amount
the dog will be consuming. For example, if our two foods had twenty
percent protein for A and ten percent protein for B, even though A has
twice the protein content of B, if our dog consumed equal caloric
amounts of each food he would get exactly the same amount of protein
in each meal. If we compare the average nutrient content of puppy
food, maintenance food and all purpose food on a nutrient per pound
basis, the results frequently don't make any sense. There appears to
be wide variation from company to company regarding how much protein,
fat or calcium a puppy needs. If the nutrient contents can be compared
on a "per calorie basis" the similarities between various foods of the
same type become apparent and the differences between puppy food and
maintenance food are more readily demonstrated. When analyzed in this
fashion, you will find that growth foods generally contain more
protein, fat, calcium and phosphorus than maintenance foods. These are
the nutrients most critical for growth. Analysis of all purpose food
tends to closely resemble that of growth food. This would explain why
puppies generally do so well on the all purpose foods. There are some
marketing motives in producing puppy foods, however, and these may
lead to less than optimal nutrition for a puppy. If a company
marketing an all purpose food opts to produce a puppy food, but not a
complete line of life-stage related products, there may be a tendency
to increase the "growth nutrients" in the puppy food above the amounts
present in the all purpose food. Since the all purpose food already
met the nutritional requirements for growth, the new puppy food might
be close to providing excess amounts of protein or calcium. This is
not necessarily the case, but it has been known to happen and might
contribute to the poor performance of many litters on some puppy foods
as compared to those on all purpose foods.

The bottom line on the different types of food is essentially that
optimal nutrition for the animal comes from matching the nutrient
requirements for his life stage with the nutrient balance in the diet
he is fed. If a pet food company has this philosophy toward dog food
it will be reflected in their product line; specific foods for
specific purposes. These are frequently the premium pet foods. All
purpose foods are fine for most puppies. The major question which
should be considered is if this food has everything a growing puppy
needs, does it have more than an adult dog needs and could this excess
be harmful in the long run? So the problem may not be with feeding a
puppy on all-purpose food, but in feeding this food, essentially a
puppy food in disguise, to an adult for a long period of time. There
is no strong evidence to support the idea that the excess nutrients in
these all purpose foods might be harmful. For now it is a
philosophical question, but one that bears some thought.

The one other topic which I noted in your various [rec.pets.dogs]
discussions is the role of nutrition in the development of bone
disease in dogs. The development of bone disease depends on a variety
of factors including genetics, environment and nutrition. The only
nutritional factors clearly implicated in canine bone disease are
calcium and phosphorus imbalances and certain vitamin deficiencies or
excesses. In many cases excesses can be as bad, or worse than
deficiencies. There is some evidence that high protein or high
carbohydrate diets may contribute to problems in growing horses,
however, this information does not necessarily transfer to dogs which
have a very different metabolism. The best advice that can be given
at this point is to provide growing dogs with a nutritionally balanced
diet intended to support growth and to avoid development of obesity in
puppies. Supplements should be used ONLY on the advice of a qualified
nutritionist to correct a known nutritional deficiency."

D. Dog Parks

This is a summary of information about dog parks that has been gleaned
from the helpful responses of several netters. Compiled by Susan Kennedy.

It seems that most of the responses came from people who are on the
West coast, so maybe the concept of a dog park will drift across the
country, as so many California things do.

Several kinds of dog parks were described. The first is a wilderness
area or beach that allows dogs to be off leash. This kind probably
allows your dog to exercise, but is no guarantee that he will find
other dogs to romp with or that his safety is assured. The second
kind is a smaller area, probably with a fence, where the grass is
probably mowed. This area is typically in a city park, and is set
aside specifically for dogs. A third kind is an area that does not
officially allow dogs, but that police chose not to enforce the leash
laws. One dog park was described as a part-time one; hours and days
were limited. Still another park is one set aside specifically to
train hunting dogs. This one is funded by hunting license fees. But
no one complains if non-hunting dogs are exercised there.

It was mentioned that typically more upscale cities were likely to
have official dog parks.

In most cases, the expenses associated with the dog park are paid from
the coffers that pay for all other park expenses. One case required a
permit, and a fee of $25 per year.

One officially sanctioned park was described as a 200' by 600' area,
enclosed by a 4 ft. chain link fence.

Dog owners are asked to clean up after their pets; in some cases,
plastic bags and trash cans are provided for this. It is unclear how
careful dog owners actually are about this, or how important it is.
It would seem difficult to observe your dog (especially if you had
multiple ones) at all times, especially if the landscape prevented a
clear view. On the other hand, 20 dogs in one day can generate a lot
of output! If it's a concern, you can always make sure your pet has
eliminated before going into the park.

The dog parks are not policed in any way, other than peer pressure
from other dog owners. No attempts are made to screen dogs before
using the parks for shots, diseases, fleas, etc. Fighting did not
seem to be a problem. It was mentioned that if a new dog arrives and
there appears to be the possibility of a fight, courtesy suggests that
the new dog wait outside until the other dog has left. Another
courtesy rule is that the owner of the agressive dog should take him
out if play gets too rough. Verbal control is the most important tool
for a dog owner. As might be expected, most dogs at dog parks are
medium or larger dogs.

Surprisingly, liability did not seem to be a concern for owners who
frequent dog parks. But the presence of children (particularly if not
accompanied by a parent) should be a concern for everyone, since an
injury to the child could happen even in play.

Several people suggested that a petition would be a good method to get
a sanctioned dog park. One mentioned using as one of the reasons the
importance of socializing dogs with other dogs so that they have
better manners (towards people), but proving this is a bit difficult.
A fee tacked on to the pet license was suggested, or an admission fee.

Several people have mentioned a situation that involved taking their
friendly, well-behaved dogs to unofficial dog parks, but having a
problem when the dog approaches another dog who is fearful of him.
The friendly dog chases the fearful dog, and the owner of the fearful
dog is upset. The owner of the fearful dog then calls the police.
And because dogs are not officially allowed off leash, there may be a
penalty for this.

For reference:
York and Goodavage - "The Dog Lover's Companion - The
Inside Scoop on Where to Take Your Dog in the Bay Area and Beyond"
Foghorn press (415) 241-9550

E. Dog Vision

Excerpted from: Vaughan, Dana (Ph.D.), "Canine:Color Vision,"
_Gazette_, May 1991:

The article explained the following about "color vision" in
dogs/people:

Normal Human Color range includes VIBGYOR (each letter is a color
Violet->Red). The normal ability to see this wide range of color is
due to the presence of three cone cell types: blue, green and red
cones.

The range of colors seen by deuteranopic (green-blind) humans and dogs
are probably the same. Color Vision in the VIB portion of the spectrum
is normal. However, both deuteranopes and dogs lack the green cones
and thus have a color vision deficit in GYO portion of the spectrum.
This means that blue-green appears white. Colors more toward the Red
(R) portion of the spectrum appears more and more yellowish. Red
itself thus appears yellow. Hunters take advantage of this by using
bright orange bumpers while training: it's difficult for the dog to
actually see the bumper while the trainer has no trouble spotting them.

Note that it is difficult for a dog to distinguish between objects
which are green, yellow and orange. Note also that the colors red and
orange are hard for a dog to tell apart, but that "red" is easily
distinguished from blue. Thus dogs are colorblind, but not to the
extent of seeing only black and white.

F. Early Neutering

Many animal shelters have instituted mandatory neutering policies in
an attempt to reduce the staggering number of unwanted dogs in the US.
However, compliance is difficult to ensure, even with financial
incentives and inexpensive neutering clinics. Paired with the current
practice among US veterinarians to neuter at about 5-8 months, it is
very difficult to ensure that animals that should not be bred do in
fact not breed.

Some animal shelters, in responding to these problems, are looking
into early neuter programs. Under these programs, puppies and kittens
are neutered before they leave the shelter. Widespread adoption of
early neuter programs by shelters should have a positive impact on the
pet overpopulation problem. The advantages for responsible breeders
are also obvious: pet-quality puppies can be neutered before they are
sold, assuring the breeder that there will be no further puppies out
of those puppies.

Obviously a number of questions have been raised over the appropriate
age for nuetering animals, and the safety of anesthetizing young
puppies. Some new data is now available that shows

* Early neutering did not affect food intake or weight gain.
* Early neutering did not result in inactivity or lethargy, in fact
the neutered dogs were slightly more active than their sexually
intact counterparts.
* Early neutering contributed to a slightly higher growth rate
* Seven-week old puppies tolerated anesthesia well.
* Spaying younger puppies was easier than spaying at the traditional
age since there was less fat and less vasculature (resulting in
less blood loss), reducing surgery time.

Since there are important differences between neutering 7-week-old
puppies and 7-month-old puppies, not every veterinarian can perform
the early neutering surgery. The more extensive experience many vets
have in neutering at the traditional age generally means they will not
opt to change, thus for now it may be difficult to find vets
experienced with early neutering.

Summarized from
Marrion, Ruth, DMV. "New Views on Neutering," in _Purebred
Dogs/American Kennel Gazette_, April 1992 (pp50-54).

G. Example of a Spay/Neuter Contract.

____(Your name and address)___________________agrees to sell the
following animal to ___________(Buyer's name and address)___ for the
sum of __________________.

BREED: SEX:
SIRE: DAM:
DATE OF BIRTH: LITTER NUMBER:
MARKINGS:

Registration papers will be held by the seller until proof of
spaying/neutering has be received from a licensed, reputable
veterinarian. When proof has been received via a receipt and/or
written statement for the vet, the registration papers and the sum of
__($50 or whatever seems appropriate)___ will be forwarded to the
buyer's address. Spaying/neutering of this animal is _required_ to
receive the registration papers. It is understood at the time of sale
that this dog is not considered to be of show or breeding quality, but
is a representative of its breed and is structurally and
temperamentally suited as a companion and/or obedience dog. This dog
is guaranteed for two weeks against any general health irregularities,
and it is recommended that the buyer have the puppy examined by a
reputable veterinarian during this period. A refund of purchase
price, upon return of the puppy, will be given for any puppy found
unsatisfactory during this time limit. No other guarantee is given
except in the case of a genetic or temperamental defect which
develops, at any time during the dog's life, to the extent that it
renders the dog unsuitable as a pet. In the case of temperamental
defect the buyer agrees to return the dog to the seller for a full
refund of purchase price. In the case of genetic or hereditary
defect, the buyer will have the option of a replacement under the same
conditions stated in this contract when one becomes becomes available,
_or_ a refund of the purchase price. If at any time, the above dog
must leave permanent ownership of the buyer, the seller must be
notified. This dog is not to be placed in a shelter or humane society
without prior notification to the seller. Failure to follow this
contract will entitle the seller to the amount of $400 as a result of
breach of contract and any legal fees associated with legal actions.

The buyer understands that this is a legally binding contract
and that a copy of this contract will be forwarded to the American
Kennel Club to prevent fraudulent registration of the described dog.

Seller:_______________________________________ Date:______________
Buyer:________________________________________ Date:______________

_____________________________________________________________________

If you read the contract for its legal content, you'll find that if
the owner is your average "joe-pet-owner" he'll benefit by getting a
very sound puppy and a small bit of money back from this deal after
the neutering is done. That's it, nothing tricky. If, however, the
new pet owner does just get the puppy with no intention to keep it
later or no intention to follow the contract they will be subjected to
quite a stiff fine and legal fees.

H. Facts and Opinions about Neutering.

Remember, "neutering" can refer both to spaying bitches or castrating
dogs. An "intact" bitch or dog is one that has not been neutered.

1. Practical reasons for keeping your dog intact

* Conformation showing requires dogs and bitches to be intact.
* Breeding stock (obviously) must remain intact

2. Practical reasons for neutering your dog

* Not a show-quality or breeding-quality dog.
* It is a working dog (such as Seeing Eye or Guide dog) and must
not be distracted by the opposite sex.
* Medical and health benefits.
* Its breeding days are over.

3. Definite myths about neutering

"My bitch will become fat and lazy if I spay her." Not true. If you
hold to the same exercise and feeding schedule after surgery that you
did before surgery, her weight and activity will not change except as
a normal function of aging. Bitches that become lazy after spaying do
so because of YOUR expectations: you take her out less because you
think she's lazier, and so around and around it goes. Remember, too,
that the age at which many bitches are spayed (6-8 months) is also the
age at which they begin to settle down from puppyhood into adulthood.
Studies done on early neutering (at 8-10 weeks) show that such puppies
remain on par behaviorally with their unneutered counterparts. If
anything, they are often *more* active than their unneutered
counterparts.

"I want her to have one litter before spaying because that will
improve her personality." This is not true. Clinical studies show no
permanent changes occur as a result of pregnancy. Behavioral changes
that do occur are an effect of hormonal levels and lactation and are
strictly temporary. If your behavior toward her does not change from
before her pregnancy, her behavior will not change, either.

4. Ethical considerations over neutering

4.1. What is your goal with neutering your dog or leaving it intact?

Unless you know what you want to do with your dog, it may be difficult
to make the decision to neuter. You must take into account how you
will prevent unwanted breeding so long as your animal is intact. For
example, you must not let it roam. You must have it under control at
all times.

Neutering your dog will not solve behavioral problems. Solving
behavioral problems is a matter of training. Both intact and
neutered animals, properly trained, make fine housepets.

Neutering your dog does guarantee that you will have no unwanted
puppies. It does guarantee that *certain behaviors* related to
reproduction will be eliminated. This includes dog interest in the
heat-scent, and bitch agitation during heat. It eliminates certain
physical manifestations in the bitch, such as discharge from the
vulva.

It *may* reduce the incidence of urine marking, mounting, and
intermale aggression in male dogs. Interestingly enough, the *age* at
which an animal is neutered does not affect the likelihood that
neutering will have an impact on a particular behaviors. *Experience*
seems to play more of a role in determining which behaviors are
retained. That is, if habits have been established, neutering is not
likely to alter them.

Behavior patterns common to both males and females, such as protective
barking, playfulness, and attention-seeking are not affected by
neutering. No basic personality or behavior changes occur as a result
of neutering, except that undesirable male behaviors may be reduced
or eliminated.

It is possible to sterilize dogs without neutering. This means
severing the vas deferens in the dog and the fallopian tubes in the
bitch. You eliminate the possiblity of puppies, and there is *no*
change in behavior because the hormones have not been altered: the
dogs are still interested in bitches and the bitches will still go
through heat. However, they will be sterile. You may have to look
hard to find a vet that will do this, as it is uncommon.

If you intend to breed, the decision is easy. If you are putting your
dog to other work, you may be worried about negative or positive
behavioral changes from neutering in your dog affecting its work. If
you simply have a pet you do not wish to breed, neutering is entirely
appropriate.

4.2. What are the medical advantages of spaying?
The medical advantages of neutering? How about the disadvantages?

Medical advantages:

Your bitch is no longer subject to reproductive cancers, such as
mammary cancer (the most common tumor of the sexually intact bitch).
Bitches spayed prior to their first estrus have about 0.5 percent risk
of developing mammary cancer. If spaying is delayed after the second
heat period, the chance of developing a tumor jumps 8-26 percent.
Bitches spayed later than this remain at the same level of risk, 8-26
percent. The incidence of pyometra is eliminated in spayed bitches.
Pyometra is a common disease of intact bitches, particularly in
bitches over 6 years of age, although it can occur at any age. It
is a potentially fatal disease.

Your dog is less at risk from prostate disease and testicular cancer,
both of which can be life-threatening. Even non-malignant growths are
a threat because the growth can cause infection that can eventually
kill your dog.

Medical disadvantages:

General anesthesia is a risk to any dog. A small percentage of spayed
bitches may develop estrogen imbalances in later life that causes

incontinence (or rather, "leaking"), which is easily controlled with
dosages of estrogen. There are no medical disadvantages (other than
anesthetic risk) to male dogs. However in most cases, neutering a dog
does not involve anesthesia. The exception is when an undescended
testicle must be removed.

4.3. What are the psychological effects on your dog?

There is wide disagreement over this, but there are various relevant
facts to note.

First, neutered dogs are no longer concerned with reproduction. This
is a psychological effect, but the extent of it is confined to its
behavior with respect to heat.

The argument is often over whether or not neutered dogs remain
"aggressive." In particular, guard dogs and working dogs are often
thought to lose something by neutering. This is counterable with
specific examples: e.g., Seeing Eye dogs are always neutered and they
are fine, working dogs. There are many neutered animals that are
dominant over intact animals. For each claim made about the effect of
neutering an animal, a counter-example can be cited. This means that
the effect of neutering is largely dependent on the individual dog.
And, most likely, because dogs are so attuned to their owners,
dependent on the owner. Dogs are very good at picking up
expectations: if you *expect* your dog to mellow after neutering, it
probably will, whether or not the neutering was actually responsible
for it.

The question also arises over whether dogs "miss" sex or not. Insofar
as neutered animals never display interest in sex afterwards, the
argument is fairly strong that dogs do not miss their sexual
capability. "Mounting" or "humping" is a dominance related behavior
that any alpha dog, of either sex, intact or neutered, will engage in.

4.4. What are the ethical issues?

There is a good deal of controversy over the practice of neutering
animals. Please note that some viewpoints are culturally determined:
for example, many countries in Europe, especially Scandinavian ones,
do not have any sort of pet population problem; whereas in the US,
millions of dogs are put to sleep annually because of uncontrolled and
thoughtless reproduction. Thus, any debate over the relative ethics
of neutering dogs must be careful to keep the background of the debate
participants in mind. Your personal decision should also take this
factor, as well as others, in making that decisions. In brief, here
is a summary, pro and con, of the various opinions and points that
proponents of either side make.

PRO CON

Neutering prevents unwanted You can control your own dog's
puppies. reproduction.

It prevents certain behaviors You can control your dog; again,
such as roaming, being in heat why should we take something away
going after bitches in heat. from the dog?

There are medical benefits to There are valid moral objections
neutering. to "tampering" with your dog.

Neutered dogs are content with Who wants to have neutering possibly
established pack orders. affect your dog's abilities.

Dominance is unrelated to intact- But there are also cases where the
ness; many neutered animals are dog lost some edge.
just as, if not more so, energetic
determined and aggressive as their
intact counterparts.

Many bitches perform the same But why take the chance on an
duties as well as dogs; individual dog's temperament
testosterone is not the magic changing?
ingredient, training and
individual temperament is.

5. References

Hart BL. "Effects of neutering and spaying on the behavior of dogs and
cats: Questions and answers about practical concerns," in JAVMA
1991;198:1204-1205.

Houpt KA, Coren B, Hintz et al. "Effects of sex and reproductive
status on sucrose preference, food intake, and body weight of dogs,"
in JAVMA 1979; 174:1083-1085.

Johnson SD. "Questions and answers on the effects of surgically
neutering dogs and cats," in JAVMA 1991;198:1206-1213.

LeRoux PH. "Thyroid status, oestradiol level, work performance and
body mass of ovariectomised bitches and bitches bearing ovarian
autotransplants in the stomach wall," in J S Afr Vet Assoc
1977;48:115-117.

Marrion, Ruth, DMV. "New Views on Neutering," in _Purebred
Dogs/American Kennel Gazette_, April 1992 (pp50-54).

Salmeri KR, Bloomberg MS, Scruggs SL, Shille V. "Gonadectomy in
immature dogs: Effects on skeletal, physical, and behavioral
development," in JAVMA 1991;198:1193-1203.

Salmeri KR, Olson PN, Bloomberg MS. "Elective gonadectomy in dogs: A
review," in JAVMA 1991;198:1183-1191.

Thrusfield MV. "Association between urinary incontinence and spaying
bitches," in Vet Rec. 1985;116:695.

Weiss, Seymour N. "Dog Breeding: It's Not for Everyone," in DogsUSA,
1992 Annual, p 121. Vol 7, no 1.

Wilcox, Bonnie, DVM, "Tell Me Why" in Dog Fancy, March 1992 (v23n3),
discusses neutering of the male dog.

I. Finding a Home for a Dog.

For whatever reason, you may need to find a home for a dog. List
everywhere: newspaper, bulletin boards, computer bulletin boards,
newsletters, anywhere you like. But limit sharply: don't adopt out if
they don't meet standards. Minimal standards: will neuter as soon as
the dog's old enough, committed to a 20 year responsibility, they have
a home or apartment that permits pets, knowledgeable about dog health
and behavior or committed to become so. Do charge a nominal fee
unless you know the adopter well; this keeps away those collecting
animals for research. (You can donate all or part of the money to
animal causes if you like.)

There are many rescue organizations for both purebred and mixed-breed
dogs. You should be able to look them up in a local directory
listing.

J. Guard or Protection Dogs.

Many people consider getting a dog for protection or guarding
property. Toward this end, "ferocious dogs," such as Doberman
Pinschers, Rottweilers, and other large dogs are procured. In many
cases, the dogs will be encouraged to bark, bite, etc.

This is an *extremely poor* approach.

In the first place, many burglers are primarily deterred by
*attention*. If your dog barks, that may be all that is needed. And
virtually any grown dog that is attached to its family will bark when
stranger approaches. There is no need to get a "vicious" dog.

A *properly* trained protection and attack dog is a considerable
investment of time and money. In addition *you* must understand how
to keep it trained. You will throw money down the drain if you buy
such a dog with no idea of how it is trained or how to reinforce the
training.

In addition, many dogs that are advertised as "trained attack dogs"
are in fact poorly trained, and may cause you serious trouble when it
goes for your neighbor's child.

Basically, if you want protection, put in a burglar alarm and start a
Neighborhood Watch program. Neither of these security assets will
sell you down the river for chuck steak and neither will be a
potential liability. Choose your dog as a companion -- choose it
well, for it will be your companion for quite a few years -- and
accept its contributions to your security profile as a bonus.

K. Hiking and Backpacking with your Dog.

Summarized from a post by Cathrine Reck:

Any dog can carry 1/3 of his body weight. There is also a book
available: _A Guide to Backpacking with your Dog_, by Charlene LaBelle
that is very good. The book is put out by Alpine Publications (or
Press). Charlene (a backpacking friend of ours) put the first Pack Dog
titles on her Malamutes. She has good advice on packs, what to carry
and how to pack.

Summarized from a compilation by Sue Barnes who solicited advice on
hiking with dogs in July 1993:

* Get your dog checked out by the vet first. Dogs with dysplasia or
other joint problems should not pack. She should also be at least
a year old to carry a pack. Younger dogs will enjoy the hike but
should not carry anything while their joints are still growing.
Puppies under six months old probably should not go on hikes
except maybe short day trips (and be prepared to carry the dog
back if you mis-estimate!)

* When choosing a pack look for : 1) easy to put on and take off -
look at the positioning and types of the buckles; mine has one
that snaps in front of the shoulders and another that wraps under
the chest and snaps on the dog's side; 2) stays in position -
without a good strapping system the packs can tend to shift from
side to side; take the dog to the store with you, put one on, load
it up, and take her for a short walk/jog; 3) drain holes in the
bottom: dog + backpack + water = heavy pack if it doesn't drain
quickly; double-bag the food in zip-locks to keep it dry; 4) cool -
preferably with an open back.

* A well-conditioned dog can carry up to 1/3 of its weight in a
pack. But start out with about a third of that weight and work
your way up as your dog becomes more accustomed to carrying the
pack. You will find that with this extra size the dog will have a
hard time doing their business. Hence the importance to train
your dog to the pack before trying it out "for real." When you do
get the pack, make sure you allow some time for your dog to get
used to the idea. Put the pack on the dog when you take her for
walks. Start off with nothing in the pack and gradually add more
and more weight on subsequent outings.

* Always pack weight evenly. For example, if your dog is carrying
water, put it in small containers that you can distribute evenly.

* Make sure everything you put in the pack is waterproof (ie. don't
put your jacket in the pack only to have the dog go lie down in a
stream).

* One tip from a pack-user: "I added a large zipper pocket right on
top of the pack, over the dog's back. I kept small items that I
frequently needed there, and could access them without having to
take my own pack off. Like having a caddy!

* When using the pack, stay close to your dog. The added weight and
size will require you to give some help to get over that fallen-
tree etc. If your dog rolls over on his back, he may be stuck
until you can help him out!

* Each night and when you get back, check your dog over thoroughly
for ticks, burrs, foxtails and other things in his coat. Check
the pads of his feet thoroughly -- if your dog gets sore feet,
you'll have to carry his pack, or even him! So make sure he's in
good condition and that he doesn't pick anything up while camping.

* Suggested things to take:
- Current shots & heartworm up to date
- Leash and collar with name/address on tag
- Something to collect & bury or pack out waste
- Extra water, food
- Brush if dog is long-coated
- 1st aid stuff
- flea/tick powder plus tweezers for removal of ticks,
thorns, or foxtails
- Ball
- dish (a frisbee is often good for food/water/play!)
- Rope or cord as a tie-out at night, with a large screw-in tie-out stake
- an extra pad to protect tent bottom if dog will be in tent with you

* Expect your dog to eat about the same amount of food, maybe just a
little more, but to consume much more water than normal, and
possibly more than you will (they're not as good heat-shedders as
humans are). Be sure you know how far apart your water sources
are going to be when you're hiking. If you're hiking in areas
prone to giardia, try not to let your dog drink the water -- they
can get it and it's just as bad in dogs as it is in humans.

* If there is poison ivy where you are going and you are sensitive
to it, be very careful about where your dog goes and how you touch
her after. Dogs can pick up the oils from these plants on their
fur and you can be exposed to it just by petting, brushing or even
touching the dog.

* You need to worry about the types of animals you'll see. Deer are
perhaps the biggest worry. Your dog will chase them--leash or
not. If there are bears, don't take the dog. Raccoons, skunks, and
porcupines present their own set of problems--some of which are a
real pain in the you-know-what. Be sure and check with rangers
etc. before going. Some areas do not allow dogs at all. Best to
know in advance. You'll minimize problems by keeping your dog on
leash at all times.

* Don't underestimate other campers' disapproval of even friendly,
well-behaved dogs... Keeping the dog on the leash when on the
trail and near your tent when in camp is a must. You should
probably have them leashed at all times to minimize problems with
wildlife (in many areas, dogs can be legally shot for chasing a
variety of animals, from sheep to deer).

* If your dog is prone to barking a lot, you may want to leave him
at home if you can't stop him from doing so. Continued and
frequent barking will bother the wildlife and irritate other
campers and hikers.

The January 1993 issue of Dog World has a useful article by Ray Rogers
about backpacking with a dog.

One last note. Dogs and backpacking are a great combination - but
remember that not all people feel this way. Keep the dog under
control and clean up after him (ie. bury it!), and both you and others
on the trail will have a great time. If you don't -- you may find
that park closed to dogs the next time you go! So BE CONSIDERATE!
Many hikers hate seeing dogs on the trails -- this is your opportunity
to show them that it doesn't have to be a problem.

L. Holidays with your Dog

A little thought and preparation can make holiday decoration possible
with as little danger to your dogs and your decorations. Tips:

* No tinsel. Dogs (and cats) that eat tinsel can easily cut up
their intestines with this stuff. Paper-based tinsel is not as
bad, but the plastic or metallic based tinsels should not be used.

* Protect the Christmas tree: if your dog likes to knock it over,
it's relatively easy to put an eye-bolt through a stud in the
ceiling and tie the tree to it. If your dog tends to play with
the ornaments or knock them off, put the sturdy ones on bottom and
the fragile ones up out of reach. If your dog will eat the
ornaments or tree, then you can put an x-pen around the tree. You
can decorate the x-pen itself with large red ribbons for a festive
flair. It's also possible to set the tree up (in an isolated room
or up on a table, etc.) so that the dog can't physically reach it.

* Be aware that many plants used in Christmas decoration are harmful
or toxic to dogs. Most of them will cause dogs to vomit if they
are ingested, so put them out of reach. Contrary to popular
knowledge, poinsettias are *not* poisonous. They are simply very
bitter and will be immediately vomitted back up.

* Do not put tree preservative in to the water at the base of your tree.

* If your pet likes to chew on powercords, coat the wires with
Tabasco sauce or bitter apple extract (available from pet stores).

* Do not leave pets and lit candles unattended in the same room.

* Before placing a present under the tree, ask if it contains food.
Dogs especially will make short work of such presents. Pets are
at a high risk of chocolate poisoning during the holiday season
because there is usually much more laying around than normally.

* Keep your pets confined to a particular room or crate them during
parties. They may get stressed or upset with many strangers
around and accidents may happen in all the excitement, when no one
is keeping an eye on them.

M. Housetraining Topics

1. Getting the dog to go consistently in one area

Every time you take the dog out, take it to the same spot and,
preferably, give it a command like "potty" or whatever.

If the dog is already in the yard and decides to go to the bathroom,
distract the dog by yelling NO (or clapping or whistling) and take it
to the spot it's supposed to go (even if it's finished already) and
give the command to go to the bathroom. Don't yell or correct
harshly, just distract it enough to stop the behavior and give you an
opportunity to move it to the right spot.

It helps if the spot is marked out. A common way to do this is to dig
out a square at least several inches deep, line up 4x4's along the
edge and fill with gravel.

2. Housetraining an older dog

With regards to housetraining an older dog, it can actually be easier
to do this. Puppies do not have the physical capacity for "holding"
it until they are 4 months old or so. Before that you are just doing
damage control and trying to get the concept across to them. Older
dogs, especially ones that have been kept outdoors in a kennel, will
not want to go indoors because it doesn't feel right. Follow the same
rules that you would with any other dog during housetraining: out
after every meal, out after every nap, and out every two hours
otherwise. And don't just put them out in the yard and expect them to
do their business. Take them to a specified spot and wait with them
until they do their stuff. Take that opportunity to teach them a word
to "go" too, if they don't already know one.

And, when they go, outdoors: PRAISE THEM! If they have an accident
and you catch IN THE ACT, then tell them NO and take them to their
spot to finish, praise them when they do it there. If you don't
actually catch them in the act, then quietly, clean it up, control
your temper, and pretend it didn't happen. They will learn rather
quickly but you *must* watch them at all times when they are in the
house until you learn to read their signs and anticipate problems.

3. Sudden onset of marking

There are several possible causes for a dog that suddenly starts
marking (urinating) in the house. First, rule out medical problems
with your vet.

If you've just moved into a new house and your dog starts marking,
it's probably to claim the house. Try leaving your dirty laundry all
over the house for a few days so that YOU mark it as yours. Take it
up after a few days.

4. Peeing in one spot

For a dog that pees in a particular place in the house, leaving
laundry in that spot can also work to discourage it. Dogs may
consider little-used parts of your house sufficiently "distant" from
the den that it's OK to pee there. Your laundry there marks it as
"den". Also, you can take them to these distant or used spots and do
some obedience or other dominance work with them there.

It also helps to actually catch the dog in the act. You can then yell
"NO" to distract it, and then take it outside. This works well for
dogs that simply think its OK there because its "distant" and you
haven't specifically said not to. You MUST catch it in the act,
though, yelling at it *after* all's said and done will accomplish
absolutely nothing.

Be sure to clean up that spot thoroughly with enzyme based cleaners.

N. Invisible and Electric Fences.

There are a variety of fences that are called invisible fences. Each
is detailed below.

1. The Invisible Fence

Called Invisible Fences, Radio Fences, and Freedom Fences.

This is an arrangement where electric wire is buried around the
property and the dog wears a collar that shocks it if it gets too
close to the electric wire. This kind of a "fence" does not depend on
the presence of a physical fence, although it could certainly augment
one. Points to consider:

* You must *train* the dog to understand what is going on, you can't
just expect to put it on and have it work.
* This does not prevent other dogs (or people) from coming in and
bothering your dog, unless it is supplemented by a physical fence.
* If your dog somehow gets outside the perimeter of the fence with
its collar on, it will be shocked when attempting to *re-enter*!
(The collar will not shock the dog beyond a given distance regardless
of which side the dog is on.)

2. Electric fences

Many owners, when faced with a dog that persistently digs out or
scales the backyard fence, will run a "hot" wire along the bottom of
the fence or along the top of the fence. This often works quite well,
to the point where the presence of the wire, whether hot or not, will
deter escape. Points to consider:

* You should *not* shock puppies. Wait until the dog is fully grown.
* For digging, bury the wire under the fence. The depth will depend
on how deep your dog is willing to dig.
* For scaling the fence, run it along the top of the fence. If the
dog is jumping the fence, you will either need to make the fence
taller, or try the invisible fence method.
* This is not foolproof, dogs have been known to get around these, too.
* Do not make electric fences solely of electrified wires. They should
be put up on wooden fences.

Fences in general:

* A three to four foot fence is in general not adequate for most
dogs. Toy breeds and specific individual dogs may be alright
with this height, but it is not an assumption that you can make.

* Some inexpensive ways to fortify a fence before resorting to the
more expensive solutions of a higher fence, electrified fence, or
installing invisible fences:
- String up aluminum cans on six foot string lengths, and
hang on the inside of your fence. The racket discourages
some dogs from climbing over.
- In a similar vein, putting PVC pipe up on a string so that
they spin freely will make the fence more difficult to climb.
- Installing 9" eyebolts along the inside of the fence and then
threading heavy guage wire through the eyes makes another
barrier.
- Lining the inside of your fence with corrugated fiberglass
can prevent both climbing and chewing on the fence. The
fiberglass comes in several colors and you can choose a
non-obtrusive brown shade.
- For a digger, try putting down paving stones as a border around
your fence.
- Some dogs hate digging in gravel; a gravel border along the
fence can work to keep dogs from digging
- A concrete apron (more expensive) can also be put down.

Note that none of these suggestions will work on a dog that can sail
over the fence. A taller fence may be needed, or an invisible fence
system to augment the existing fence will work.

O. Commercial Kennels

Comments summarized from Leisa Diel's posting in May 1993:

* If your dog is under 30lbs, it's quite likely it will be
caged rather than put in a run. Instead of asking if your
dog will be caged, ask if the kennel cages at all and ask
to see the area. You want to see clean, neat cages, with
clearly labelled information for each dog (medications,
feeding & exercise schedule.

* Look for places that require proof of vaccinations, especially
for parvo and kennel cough.

* If you know that your dog is going to be caged mark everything
you're giving him with the loudest colors imaginable - ESPECIALLY
MEDICINES and explain to the handlers if he has any special needs
like a lower cage or a cage out of the draft etc. If you are told
that NO dog is EVER caged, suspect you're being lied to especially
if you have a small dog. If you're told that your dog WILL go in
a run, check up on that a few hours after you leave for the first
time. Say that you want to see where Fido is staying and INSIST
(if you can't see your dog out front on the runs) on going with
the attendant to get him out.

* If you feel uncomfortable doing this remind yourself that you've
given the kennel every opportunity to prove itself and that under
no circumstances should you be lied to regarding your pets
care. The kennel people - if they're any good at all - are used to
dealing with people who love animals and will be patient with your
needs.

* Dogs got switched. There were so many schnauzers and boxers and
they all looked ALIKE! for the most part. I was in the room when
one of the trainees mixed up two sets of identical schnauzers, AND
sent the wrong dog home with the wrong owner. The owner (thank
GOD!) realized that her dog had been switched and brought the
other dog back before his owner took HER other dog away.

* SUGGESTION: Put your own dog's bow on him or her. The usual
procedure at the kennel was to take off the dog's collars (because
of the strangulation danger from chain link runs)and put the dogs
in a cage or run with a card bearing their name and weight etc. I
paint one or more of Basil's toenails - in a distinctive pattern
that I'll recognize. A week long stay won't be enough for the
cement to wear the paint off and I rest easier. It wouldn't hurt
to have your dog tattooed, either. Also be wary if your dog has
been groomed or bathed without your consent. Sometimes this is
necessary as dogs will roll in poop or something but sometimes
this is because it wasn't your dog who was groomed it was someone
elses who had given permission for the grooming. If you ask why
the grooming was done without your consent the kennel people have
a greater opportunity to see a mistake if they've made one.
* Also along these lines if your dog (and you're sure it's your
dog)HAS been groomed and /or bathed without your consent it means
that somewhere along the route your dog did get switched with
someone elses. This is a GOOD thing to find out because it's
shoddy record-keeping and you don't want to board your dog there.
It may not sound like a big deal if the kennel's switched your dog
accidentally for a couple of days until you realize that some dogs
get big-bad medicines like pheno-barbital and if they think your
pup is one of the dogs who needs the medication - your dog just
got a dose. Also if your dog is on heartworm preventative - or
worse yet isn't on heartworm preventative and is given one -
mistakes could get fatal.
* A GOOD kennel will admit up-front any mistakes that did occur
when you check your dog out, not later when he goes into seizures
or something.
* If you want your dog groomed or bathed while they're in the kennel
( I would recommend letting the groomer bathe them before you take
them home - its easier and generally the effect it has on the
homecoming is positive for you both), check the groomer and the
grooming procedure out as carefully as the kennel. Good kennels
sometimes have BAD groomers with BAD procedures.
* My advice to anyone boarding a dog is to choose carefully, follow
up thouroughly, cooperate with the staff as much as possible and
in a friendly manner (I saw a lot of abuse of dogs that stemmed
from the owners being mean or bitchy and the kennel workers took
that out on the dog). Keep your copy of the shot records - give
the kennel a copy if you have to but you keep a copy too. Above
all though - know your dog. Know what makes him or her unique,
moniter his or her state on entry and again on exit. Be wary of
glib, rehearsed answers or a brusque, businesslike attitude
towards your animal. Good animal people LIKE their work and LIKE
animals and you can't fake this.

Ever vigilant right? Good kennels have nothing to hide!!!!

From: ti...@bvc.edu (TiM SEYDEL)

First off, thanks to everyone who replied to my post about boarding my
dog. A brief summary of the reponses is as follows:

1. Leave your pet with something of theirs/yours. A favorite blanket,
toys and other "personal" items will help the animal feel more
comfortable and won't forget you. When you leave them with
something of yours, leave it "dirty" (i.e. don't wash it-like a
dirty t-shirt, etc.). Toys can be better because they won't get
washed and hence lose the scent.

2. Make sure to feed your pet the same food-you can usually leave
behind your brand of food for your pet.

3. Leave information/itinerary and phone #s with the kennel so they
can reach you, should anything happen.

4. Check with your kennel in advance to ensure your pet has all of
their shots, as many kennels require they have up-to-date
vaccinations.

5. Check with the kennel about where the dogs stay, if they get to go
outside for exercise, etc. And ask other dog owners and/or your vet
if they have a recommendation.

6. When you get back, try to spend some extra time with your pet and
don't get mad if they forget some of their training. They've been
out of the daily regimen, but will remember shortly after you get
them home. If you have a favorite park to take them to where they
can run around, go there shortly after getting home.

And have fun on your trip!

(Miscellaneous topics continued in Assorted Topics, Part II.)

[Cindy Tittle Moore]

Archive-name: dogs-faq/misc/part2
Last-modified: 29 Nov 1994

=======
The latest versions of these FAQ's may be found via the Web at
http://io.com/user/tittle/dogs-faq/homepage.html.

The multiple parts of the FAQ are all archived at rtfm.mit.edu

ASSORTED TOPICS (Part II).

A. Owner Allergies.
B. Pet Doors.
C. Pet Insurance.
D. Pet Sitting and Kennel Services.
E. Photographing Black Dogs
F. Record Keeping.
G. Removing Odors and Stains.
H. Separation Anxiety.
I. Travel and International Travel.
J. Vicious Dogs.
K. Waste Composters.
L. Wolves and Wolf Hybrids.

(Part II)
A. Owner Allergies.

You can go to an allergy specialist and get shots to help you with
specific allergies. This can be expensive, but worth it, especially
if you have other allergies as well. They'll test you for the things
you're allergic to, and then give you periodic shots to help you
develop an appropriate immunity to them (you should be aware that the
shots do not always work). Be sure to find an allergy specialist
familiar with dog allergies: there are far too many doctors out there
that will simply say "Get rid of your pets." Other approaches may be
used as well: cortisone nasal sprays, eye drops, etc. Air filters
often help, as well as reducing the amount of wall-to-wall carpeting,
if possible. Find someone who will work with your particular problem.

Different breeds may work for different people who have allergy
problems. It depends on exactly what it is about dogs that causes the
problem. Some people are allergic to the hair, but others are
allergic to the dander. Still others are not specifically allergic to
dogs, but are allergic to things like dust and the dogs provide an
*additional* irritant that is sufficent when combined with other
allergens to provoke a reaction. In yet other cases, people are
allergic to a dog *licking* them. You must find out which is true for
your case.

Some people do well with Basenjis and Miniature Pincers and other dogs
with little or no coat. Others do well with poodles and schnauzers
and airedales who have a different type of coat. A lot of people do
well with Shih Tzus and Lhasa Apsos who, while very hairy, are
supposed to have hair much more like human hair.

This is VERY important: every dog lover with allergy problems needs to
spend some time with different breeds to find the one that doesn't
aggravate the problem.

In many cases, bathing the dog frequently, cleaning the bedding,
vacumming and closing off your bedroom will help alleviate allergy
problems. There is also a spray available that you put on the dog
that is supposed to reduce the amount of allergens they shed called
Allerpet/D Most pet stores carry the stuff, and the bottle has an 800
number you can call for more information.

B. Pet Doors.

Some points:

* Get one that at least has magnetic strips to hold the door shut.
In colder climates, you might want to consider a "double door",
i.e, the outer door must close before the inner one opens. This
would cut down on the drafts.

* Size is deceptive. Dogs don't really need as much space as you
might think to get in and out.

* Installation is usually very easy. Some models fit into patio
doors and are removable. Make sure the one you get is lockable or
blockable. If the door is hollow-core, it is trickier, because
then you have to insert a frame in the door for the pet door to
attach to.

* The wall between your garage and house is considered a 'fire wall'
and you're not supposed to cut any holes in it. In particular, it
could make fire insurance claims tricky. And if you sell the
house, you will have to fix the hole first.

* Install the door in such a place as to make it impossible for
someone to push something through it to open a door or window,
even if they can't crawl through themselves. Ideally, you should
have some way of locking or disabling the door for times when you
are gone, say on vacation.

Johnson pet doors are frequently recommended. RC Steele stocks them.
Another source is America's Pet Door Store (1-800-826-2871).

There exist electronic pet doors that are activated by a special
collar. Most of these are for cats, but there are models for dogs up
to 110lbs. These help keep unwanted animals from entering your house.
These are, of course, somewhat expensive.

Some dogs need coaxing to use the door. Prop the door open and offer
a treat from the other side. Don't try and push your dog through.

C. Pet Insurance.

Pet insurance plans are typically accident policies, although some
also cover routine medical expenses such as worming and shots (or even
grooming) -- the latter are generally a better deal.

Between the deductibles and allowances, you may not get very much back
on an actual claim. In several years of rec.pets.dogs, no reader has
come back with a favorable story on claim processing.

D. Pet Sitting and Kennel Services.

1. Pet Sitting

In some cases, you can find friends or neighbors willing to take care
of your pets while you are gone. If you are using a professional
service as opposed to a friend or relative, try to find one that's not
just one person doing it but is a business that has several people
working for them. When it's a business with people working for them
the owners of the business are more likely to expect their people to
do a good job and be responsive to people complaining about poor
service. Watch out for the business changing hands.

Check with the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters.
Members must sign a code of ethics and can be removed if there are
complaints. They can give you a list of pet sitters in your area.
[They have MOVED; I do not have the current address!]. Their
brochure includes their code of ethics, and includes a list of what to
look for in a reputable pet sitter; see list below.

Another one is Pet Sitters International. It was founded by the original
founder of the now defunct NAPS, Patti Moran. The address and phone
number of PSI is:
Pet Sitters International
418 East King St.
King, NC 27021
(910) 983-9222

Ask the company if they're bonded or insured. See if they'll send
someone more than once a day. Ask for references from previous and
current customers. Some will bring the paper and mail in and help
make the place look "occupied;" that's a plus.

Check the potential sitter for the following:

1. Does the pet sitter furnish written literature describing services
and stating fees?
2. Does the pet sitter visit the home beforehand to meet with the
client and pet to obtain detailed information?
3. Does the sitter arrive on time?
4. Does the sitter get along with your pet? Does the sitter exhibit
confidence and ease with your pets?
5. Is the pet sitter courteous, interested, and well informed?
6. Does the sitter have written references?
7. Is the sitter willing to give you names and numbers of former
clients for references?
8. Does the pet sitter have a service contract which spells out
services the pet sitter will provide and fees for doing so?
9. Are the company and/or sitter in good standing with the Better
Business Bureau?
10. Does the pet sitter have regular office hours or return customer
inquiries promptly?
11. Is the sitter recommended by someone you trust - either your vet,
trainer, dog show buddies, etc?
12. Does the pet sitter have a veterinarian on call for emergency
services?
13. What contingency plan for pet care does the pet sitter have in the
event of inclement weather or personal illness?
14. Does the company have a training program for their sitters?
15. How does the pet sitting service recruit and screen applicants?
Are there any prerequisites for employment?
16. Does the pet sitter or pet sitting service telephone to determine
if the client has returned home as scheduled or require that the
client notify the company or pet sitter of their arrival home?
17. Does the pet sitter or company provide a rating form for customer
feedback and evaluation of pet sitting services?
18. Does the pet sitting service have an established system for
handling customer complaints?
19. When does the sitter get paid? Before or after you come back?
A deposit up front and the rest later?

Try to find word of mouth recommendations. You might try calling
several vets in your area to see if they have any recommendations.
Check with the local SPCA and with Better Business Bureau for any
specific complaints lodged with a particular business.

2. Kennels

Look around for a good one. Experiences can be good or awful
depending on the kennel.

One resource: The American Boarding Kennel Association (ABKA) is based
in Colorado Springs. You can use this organization to help you choose
a kennel. If you write to them (or call them), they will send you a
small packet of information. One part is a booklet on how to choose a
kennel, and another part is a list of all ABKA accredited kennels
around the country.

An ABKA kennel is supposed to meet a minimum set of criterion that is
spelled out in their literature. The things they suggest you look for
and questions to ask involve a lot of common sense stuff, but there
are good suggestions you might not think of.

4575 Galley Rd., Suite 400A
Colorado Springs, CO 80915
719-591-1113

E. Photographing Black Dogs

Information compiled by Ruth Ginzberg, lightly edited by moi.

Many people with black dogs have trouble getting a good photo of the
dog. Some of the characterizations of how the photos turn out: "large
black blob", "no, large black blob with pink tongue sticking out of
it", "large black blob with eyes" (you get the idea).

If you want a few QUICK HINTS on how to address this problem, here
they are, as summarized well by Dennis Swanson:

* 1) set the camera to underexpose by two stops from what it recommends, if
possible

* 2) whether this is possible or not, tell the photofinisher to forget the
background and print your dog black but with detail in the fur

* 3) for photos to be scrutinized by possible clients, have them done by a
professional

If you want more detailed information, keep reading. :-)

Andy Kane has some advice about selecting a photo finisher:

* With 10 years of experience there is one answer to your question
about black dogs being too dark and magenta(pink). Take your
negatives to a local film processor, one that prints in lab, and
wait for the results. If you get the same result ask them to
please reprint your negative at -1 magenta and -2 denisty from
where they have it right now. I do this work for a living. What
normally happens is with the new scanners in print processors the
total area of the negative is scanned and averaged for color and
denisty. Therefore a black dog will print a little dark and if the
background is grass (green) the the scanner will tend to over
compensate and give you an dog with a little magenta tink(pink).
The same holds true for the other problem print of a portrait of a
person wearing a red shirt, in this case the flesh tones result a
little cyan (blue,geen) the opposite of the red shirt. I see this
black dog case everyday and I hope that I correct for it everytime
but even good processors can miss and will be more than happy to
redo your print at no charge to you. You can not get this kind of
service from drug store or mail service processing labs. Good luck

Ty Monson sympathizes with our difficulties, noting that photographing
black animals is not a problem only for we amateurs:

* Seriously, photographing black dogs, cats, cattle, llamas, etc.
*is* difficult. The difficulty is compounded by shooting color
negatives and relying on Qualex (or other popularly-priced photo
finisher) to produce the prints.[see above for advice] Assuming
that a person is taking snapshots for the family album, I can
recommend setting your pet against a dark background as a starting
point. When the main subject and background are *both* dark, the
printer will lighten the print.

You will get more detailed features on the dog in the photo this way,
but your dog will look lighter colored than s/he actually is. Jimmy
Tung explained why this happens:

* First assuming that you're using negative film, and just some
basics for everybody: The camera doesn't see a black dog. It sees
an average object which must be kinda average grey (18% if you
like) in color. So the meter will tell you something which will
overexpose the pic, giving you a grey dog, as well as washing out
the background. In the original post, the dogs were described as
big black blobs with pink tongues, etc. If the photofinisher
looks at the negative described above, he'll say "gee, these
people would rather have a good looking background", so they start
tweaking the density and color balance until you end up with all
of the other colors OK, and a black dog, except now your black dog
is too black, and it looks featureless.

Marc Clarke expanded on this, explaining that:

* The problem probably comes from the fact that Through The Lense
(TTL) camera meters try to render whatever reflective surface they
are pointed at as an 18% gray. If you point a TTL camera's meter
at a white house (or dog), the meter will indicate the amount of
exposure you need to make the side of the white house appear as
18% gray. If you point the TTL camera's meter at a black dog, the
meter will indicate the exposure you need to make the black dog
appear as an 18% gray dog. TTL meters are really good at telling
you what exposure to use for 18% gray things. TTL meters are
lousy at directly telling you what exposure to use for black or
white things.

Ty suggests some ways you can try to get around this problem:

* Oh, but you DID want the dog to look BLACK? Black is the
(relative) absence of light. The trick is to get enough gloss
(luster, glare) off the animal's fur to define shape, without
washing-out the blackness. Two things a snapshooter can do is
photograph your pet 1/4 side lighted from a window (overcast day)
or set a piece of white poster board next to the animal (out of
the camera's field of view.) A white wall may work, too. ... Be
inventive. Look! The camera lens sees what your eye sees. If the
lighting doesn't model your pet's form, the film won't record it.

* Oh, yes. Your black-petted friends will probably need to abandon
the camera's built-in flash. A flash with a head that can be
rotated for bounce flash can be made to work. It will take some
experimenting, though.

...and Tom Wagner added:

* If you are taking flash photos, that is another problem for
automatics. My personal advice is do not take flash photos of
pets. Use a high speed film and whatever available light you
have. Because pets have better night vision you will get a lot of
"Red Eyed Shots."

Jimmy also mentions the importance of lighting:

* Check your lighting, and make sure that details of the dog's coat,
eyes, etc. are large and visible. That is, assuming you don't
have off-camera flash equipment, position lamps and camera so that
light is reflected off the glossy coat. That way, the dog doesn't
look flat without the other visual cues our mind supplies, but the
camera doesn't.

Ellen McSorley's husband, Jonathan, who has experience photographing
dogs, evidently with better equipment than many of us have, notes that
even different *breeds* of black dogs offer different problems:

* ... Labs have glossier fur than Newfs. You've still got to have
lots of light, so flash or spot metering is a must. I think
ideally I'd go for off-axis flash, or a diffuser, or maybe a flash
umbrella, something to give lots of light but not from a bright
point source which is going to reflect straight back into the
camera. That might make it look like the dog has Mylar
(reflective plastic) bits in its coat (although that would be an
interesting effect, and direct flash works on the Newfs because
their coats aren't so glossy).

Jimmy also mentions that:

* Some films are specifically color balanced for skin tones or
bright colors or deep rich blacks and browns. I don't have a
recommendation off the top of my head which would be appropriate.
You might find that Fuji Reala might be well suited, but then
again, Kodak Gold II might be just as good at a fraction of the
cost. Ask your local photo supply store.

and Stephen Samuel reminds us that:

* ... if you have a black dog and a white human in a picture with
the same lighting, AT LEST ONE OF THEM is going to end up looking
poorly lit. Creative lighting is required. [A classic suggestion
is to put the human in the shade and the dog in the sun.]

BUT, no matter what you do with the lighting or the processing, it
seems from what many people say that eventually you are going to have
to deal with the fact that the automatic grey scale metering is thrown
off by a black (or white) dog who makes up the largest part of the
photo.

Tom Davis (who says his dogs are Golden, to match his carpet) offers a
suggestion for those with very automatic cameras:

* I'd guess that if a black dog fills a significant amount of the
frame, it will wind up over-exposed by quite a bit, so if your
camera has exposure compensation, you can set it to under-expose
to compensate. Some cameras are totally automatic, so you're just
out of luck. If you don't have exposure compensation, you can
sometimes lie to the camera about the film speed. To make it
under-expose, tell it you've got faster film.

* For samoyeds and great pyrenees, do the opposite. Well, at least for
clean ones.

But for those ready to grapple with light metering, Marc Clarke suggests:

* There are several different ways to get around this. First, meter
something that is actually 18% gray in the same light that falls
on the black dog. This gray card gives your meter something that
actually *is* 18% gray. The black dog will show up as black (not
gray). These gray cards are available in any photography store,
usually in the book rack. Second, use an incident light meter.
These meters read the light that is falling onto the subject
rather than the light reflecting off the subject. They indicate
the same exposure as a TTL camera's reflectance meter reading the
light reflected off an 18% gray card. You can fake a gray card by
using your TTL cameras meter and metering the light falling onto
your open hand, then opening up one more stop. A hand (in fact,
nearly all Caucasian skin) is about 1 stop brighter than an 18%
gray card.

But Brian Segal points out that:

* Your reflective meter will indeed want to show the dog as 18% grey if
you simply rely on that reading. If you want about 5 stops of exposure
latitude, then meter the dog's fur and stop down 1.5 to 2.0 stops. If
you stop right down to dense black there will be no detail of the fur.

* An incident reading will work more or less, but you really want a
precise reading of the fur itself as it has its own reflective
properties.

Dave Miller kind of summed it all up with:

* UNDEREXPOSE BY TWO STOPS. That's it. Doesn't matter what camera
you use. All a camera is is a light tight box to hold film.
[...]
The meters (for the most part) all work the same way and try to
give you an 18% grey which is about 2 stops brighter than most
black dogs. If the dog is brightly lit, then it might be only 1
to 1.5 stops darker...

Well, there you have it.

Finally, Ty Monson gives the following (blunt, but probably correct)
advice in response to a question about stud services or breeders who
are photographing their dogs for the benefit of prospective clients:

* Breeders ought to have a skilled photographer produce the photos
for showing prospective clients. No business is represented well
with amateurish snapshots.

Many thanks to the nice folks from rec.photo who offered their expertise
to us sentimental dog lovers, who never can seem to have too many photos
of our pets -- even when they do just look like large black blobs with
tongues!

F. Record Keeping.

1. Breeders

You should not rely on AKC to keep all your records straight.
Breeders MUST keep official records on their dogs. There are numerous
fines listed in the back of the _Gazette_ for failure to maintain
proper records. If you don't have your own record book, you should
start one. If you are cited, you may have to start all over again
with new dogs. That means that all the dogs you breed lose their AKC
registrations. The AKC screws up a lot of things. That's why it is
so important that breeders keep good files for their own breed club's
use.

Breeders need to keep records in a book about their breeding dogs.
This includes the dog's registered name, number, sex, color, markings,
date of birth, and OFA, CERF etc. Every time that dog is bred (either
male or female) the date, the name of the other dog, the number of the
other dog, and the number of the owner of the other dog goes into it.
When the puppies are born, the number of puppies, sexes, colors,
markings, date of birth and litter number is added. The breeder's
name(s) is also included. On the litter registration form, the
information is reprinted to get the individual registration forms.

When the puppies are placed in a home, the new owner's name, address
and phone number go into the proper places. (You can order these
books from the AKC -- they are called "Dog Ownership and Breeding
Record" books and they cost about $5 -- but they have enough pages for
many dogs.)

2. Titles

For titles and points, keep a small *bound* notebook (so that the
question never comes up whether pages have been added or removed) to
record the judge's name, the number of dogs in the classes, the number
of points, the date, the show, and the club sponsoring the show.
Record obedience trials the same way. You may want to have a folder
in which to keep all ribbons and copies of certificates and pedigrees
along with a few pictures of the dog. You just need to have a record
of your own -- like your check book -- to make sure someone doesn't
goof up. Two records are better than one!

3. Working dogs

Dogs that work: e.g., Search and Rescue dogs, Police dogs, Disaster
dogs, any that work in potentially liable situations or do work that
may be challenged in court should have an ongoing record of their
training and of actual cases. Note date and time, individuals
involved in the training, the purpose of the training, how the
training session was set up, how the dog did, and where it needs to
improve. For an actual case, note all the specifics involved: who you
talked to, where you got the scent article or other applicable
information from, who was found/rescued/attacked, etc. If you can, go
back and take pictures of the trail followed or other useful sites.
Keep training and actual case records separate.

If, for example, an SAR dog's identification of a felon comes into
question, that record may prove the difference as to whether the
evidence is ruled admissible or not. In contrast to the above for
titles, keep training and case records in a loose-leaf binding, so
that only the record pertinent to the case need be forwarded to the
lawyers.

4. Your personal enjoyment

Anyone training a dog may find it useful and interesting to keep a log
of their dog's progress in training. In particular, it might help you
uncover patterns unique to your dog, or suggest other ways to approach
training.

G. Removing Odors and Stains.

1. Removing uring

For fresh urine: clean the spot with any good carpet shampoo (Spot
Shot is one). Then soak it with plain old club soda, leave it for
about ten minutes and blot it up.

If the urine has soaked the pad and the floor below that, it will be
difficult to remove the odor regardless of what you use.

To find spots if you're not sure where they are, get a UV lamp that
has the filter built in (to eliminate any remnant visible light).
Urine fluoresces in "black light." You can get them at hardware
stores. There are also UV lamps in hobby stores and places that cater
to spelunkers and rockhounds, but they're more expensive. The UV
source is safe as long as you use the longwave lamp and not the
shortwave lamp used for tanning.

1. Enzymatic products

Products that remove odors: Nature's Miracle (carpet, has 800 number
on bottle); Simple Solution (carpet and other items); Outright!
(carpet, 214-438-0397); Resolve (carpet, perhaps other items); Odor
Mute (originally for deskunking dogs, has other applications, leaves
white residue, works on concrete, 507-642-8529). Odor Abolish, by
Endosome Biologicals, may also be useful. These products use enzymes
to break down the odor causing compounds in urine and feces, and are
quite effective. From: d...@pruxl.att.com {Doug Monroe)

When using enzymatic products, it is important to use freshly diluted
enzymes, let it soak in as deeply as the urine has penetrated, and
*keep the area warm and wet for 24 hours*. Chemical reactions,
including enzymatic reactions, go faster at higher temperatures.
Unfortunately, most enzymatic reactions don't do well much over 102F
(38-39C)-- so not TOO hot. Try covering the area with towels soaked
in plain water after applying the enzyme, then a shower curtain or
other plastic over that to make sure the area stays moist.

The enzymes in laundry products are reportedly the same as those in
the expensive odor-killing products, but they cost less than 1/3 as
much. They work just as well. Biz is one product. You'll find it in
your grocery laundry section with the pre-soak laundry stuff.

Remember, you have to SOAK the area and then cover it to keep it from
drying out. The smelly area must be WET with the enzyme for 24 hours
or more.

2. Launderable items

On launderable items: put in the washing machine with a cup of vinegar
and no detergent, then wash again as usual.

3. Concrete

If you have concrete (eg, in the basement) into which urine has been
soaked, this can be difficult to remove, as unsealed concrete is very
porous. You will have to neutralize the urine and then seal the
concrete properly. A specialty cleaning service is probably the best
way to properly neutralize the urine in the concrete. Vinegars and
other cleaners may help, but only temporarily. Odor Mute is reputed
to work on concrete. Improving the ventilation may also help. In
extreme cases, pouring another 1/4-1/2 inch layer of concrete over the
original concrete will solve the problem.

4. Hardwood floors

Hardwood floors that have been stained with urine can be difficult to
clean. First treat with an enzyme-based product such as Nature's
Miracle to remove the odor. You can find wood bleaches and stains at
your hardware store: you may want to consult with one of the employees
on what is available. You will need to remove any varnish or
polyurethane from the area, sand it down a bit, bleach and/or stain
it, and then apply the protective coat. There are also professional
companies you can consult. In severely stained cases, you may have to
replace the wood.

5. Yard

For your yard, gypsum is supposed to help lawns cope with urine.
This is found in Jerry Baker's _Plants are Still Like People_.

2. Skunks

Some dogs just seem to like to tangle with skunks. Others only encounter
one once or twice in their lives. Either way, there are some techniques
for dealing with a skunked dog.

The important thing is to get the skunk oil off a quickly as possible
and don't let the dog spread the oil around. Also, the skunk smell
seems to be easier to get rid of the sooner the dog is washed.

To get rid of the smell - try vinegar diluted with water. Douches
work (they contain vinegar), but the perfumes may irritate some dogs'
skin. Massengill in particular is often highly recommended. Soap the
skunked areas, then apply the vinegar - let it sit a little while, and
then soap again. Don't get the vinegar in the dog's eyes. Try also:
diluted lemon juice and a dishwashing detergent (Dawn is generally
recommended) to cut the grease.

There is a product available called SKUNK OFF.

If your dog's been thoroughly sprayed, don't expect to get all the
smell out with a bath but what smell is left will go away faster.

3. Saliva

The watery, tasteless liquid mixture of salivary and oral mucous gland
secretions that lubricates chewed food, moistens oral walls, and
contains enzymes that function in the predigestion of starches.

The enzymes are the potent operatives here that leave semi-permanent
slime trails on clothes, ceilings, walls, and table tops, depending on
your breed. Removal of high-powered slobber, especially from
polyesters and blends, can be a problem. For washable fabrics, the
cheapest pre-wash treatment is Accent meat tenderizer liberally
sprinkled on the the slobber spots (wet the spots or whole garment
before applying the Accent). Let it soak for a few minutes, then wash
as usual with laundry detergent.

H. Separation Anxiety.

Some dogs may cry and whine when you leave. Most get over it in time.
You can minimize it by not making a big deal of leaving; say good-bye,
give him a treat, and walk out. You can probably condition your dog
to accept it better by leaving for short errands and coming back soon,
possibly over the weekend when you don't have to work.

Go ahead and crate the dog while you're gone (provided it's been
crate-trained, of course). A crate can help your dog feel more secure
in its own personal space where it can't get into trouble.

I. Travel and International Travel.

You can often take your dog with you when you travel, either domestic
travel or even international travel. There are some helpful books out
there that list which hotels, motels, etc. accept dogs. These include

_Touring with Towser_, Quaker foods, publisher. Editions put out
every other year. Write to 585 Hawthorne Court, Galesburg IL 61401
with a check or money order for $3 made out to Quaker Professional
Services. 64 page directory.

_Pets Allowed_. A directory of places to stay nation (USA) wide. $10
from Modern Systems Computing, 9 Greenmeadow Dr. #FD, N. Billerica, MA
01862-1921.

_Take Your Pet USA: A Guide of Accommodations for Pets and Their
Owners_. Artco Publishing, 1990, 446 pages, ISBN 0-9626885-0-9,
$9.95. It lists the address, phone number, any pet restrictions, if
there's an exercise area for pets, if pet can be left unattended in
room, local attractions, lodging rates and a few local vet offices.

_Travelling with Your Pet_. Described as "a cross-Canada directory of
hotels and motels that welcome pets," it's also full of helpful tips
on what to do when travelling with a pet. The guide is updated
annually. The price is $6.95 (CND) plus tax. Write to: Travelling with
Your Pet 43 Railside Road Don Mills Ontario, Canada M3A 3L9. You can
call them (from Canada) at 416-441-3228 or send them a fax at
416-441-3212.

*********************************************************************
By the way: BE SURE TO CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR DOG! Especially when
travelling -- many hotels begin to refuse dogs after continually
finding dog feces all over their lawns, etc afterwards. Get a
pooper-scooper or a plain plastic bag and clean up after your pooch!
Those following you afterwards will thank you.
*********************************************************************

1. Car

Most dogs love travelling in the car. Some are fearful, others are
prone to carsickness. Any dog travelling in a car should be
restrained in some manner, both for its safety and yours. Dogs can
travel in carriers, probably the best option. There are available
barriers which can keep your dog in the back seat (this works
especially well with station wagon type of cars). There are
restraining leashes available. Riding in the back of a truck is just
asking for trouble, as the dog will almost always be killed if it is
thrown from the truck in even a minor accident. There are also
restraining leashes for dogs in open pick-up truck beds. Some states
have laws against dogs riding in the back of a pick-up.

1.1. Car sickness, fear

Try just sitting in the back seat and just talking and playing with
your dog, assure it over a few of these sitting-in sessions that there
is nothing to be afraid of. Then do a couple of slow trips, just
around the block, no more. Then to the local park or beach, so your
dog starts to get the idea that car trips lead to "fun" places too.
Finally, try slowing down some more for those corners since side to
side movements in a car are the most common cause of motion sickness.
Opening a window or turning on the car fan may help some dogs.

Do *not* sympathize with the dog or try to soothe it. While
car-sickness isn't quite the same as being afraid of riding in the
car, it could conceivably be brought on by such a fear. If that is
the case, doing *anything* that the pup can possibly interpret as
praise can be counterproductive. It will teach it that this fear is
the desired behavior. If the car sickness if brought on by such fear
and it is, inadavertantly, taught that the fear is desired behavior,
the car sickness will continue.

2. Travelling by plane

The May/June, 1990 issue of Golden Retriever News (published by the
Golden Retriever Club of America) had an article on airline
transportation of dogs. Many of the comments should be common sense
-- such as having the proper crates and bedding, choosing non-stop
flights where possible, allowing plenty of check-in time, etc. The
article goes on to say that the ratings are based on serious problems
reported between July 1988 and July 1989, and that air travel is
generally safe for animals, with a mortality rate of less than one
tenth of one percent.

One pet is allowed in each cabin. Thus, if there is one First Class,
one Business class and one Tourist class cabin, three pets are
allowed. This can be modified if the pets are house mates - two
people who are traveling with their two pets, then the pets can be in
the same cabin. A cabin is a section that can be closed off from view
from the other sections either with a door or a curtain.

As for specific airlines: USAir has one of the best reputations in
shipping animals. They routinely check up on the animals, and ask the
owners to call a specific number after each landing the plane makes to
contact an individual who can check on the animals. Continental has
the worst reputation, having had several dogs die in their planes. A
particularly horrible incident in the summer of 1991 involved five
samoyeds, three of whom died of heat prostration despite the pleas of
the passengers and owners, who could hear the dogs barking in the
cargo area. Other airlines have varying reputations. In general a
direct flight is safest.

There is a pamphlet from Northwest Airlines called "Priority Pet." It
explains Northwest's methods of pet transport --- it was encouraging
to see an airline show explicit concern for this issue. Northwest
asks owners to attach two bowls and a supply of food to the outside of
the kennel in order that the animal may be fed and watered (presumably
by Northwest personnel). The caveats and conditions are enlightening
to read.

Other references: The _Conde' Nast Traveler_ (June 1992) has an
article on pets and planes, including information on which carriers
have been fined for violations of animal transportation laws.

Tips when travelling by plane:

* Buy flight insurance. It's not much if something actually happens
to your dog, but stay away from airlines that won't insure their
own transportation of animals! Cost is typically $20 for $5000
coverage.
* Some airlines are more highly recommended than others. Delta is
frequently praised, Continental frequently condemned. Whichever
airline you use, always arrange a direct flight.
* Many airlines will sell you crates for extremely good prices. If
you need a crate, buy one here.
* Get all vaccinations up to date two weeks before the flight, and
take the records with you if you're also going. Otherwise, add
your vet's name and phone number to the information on the crate.
Parvo boosters and "kennel cough" (bordetella) vaccinations are
especially recommended.
* Make reservations early. Most planes have room for three dogs
or less per flight.
* Write your name and phone number on the crate with a permanent
marker. Attached paper is frequently gone by the time the crate
arrives. Also write name and phone number of person to contact
upon arrival on a piece of duct tape on the crate.
* Solid plastic or metal crates are preferable to the wire crates.
They keep more things out of the crate than the wire ones do.
Make sure there is a rim around the edge that prevents adjacent
boxes from covering up the air holes.

3. International Travel.

1. Paperwork

Most states/provinces/regions require a health certificate and proof
of rabies vaccination for pets crossing boundary lines. Most airlines
will require this regardless of where you go within the country. Any
dog that is travelling somewhere else should have a copy of its
medical history, especially its vaccinations with it.

4. Quarantines

a. Britain

A 6 month quarantine for all animals.

b. Hawaii (prepared by Carol Newby )

Because Hawaii is a rabies free state, there is a mandatory 120 day
quarantine for dogs, cats, and other carnivorous animals. The
information below is compiled from the information package that is
available from the Animal Quarantine Station (AQS). To request
further information please write or call:

State of Hawaii FAX: (808)483-7161
Dept of Agriculture PHONE: (808)483-7151
Animal Quarantine Station
99-951 Halawa Valley Street
Aiea, Hawaii 96701-3246

The AQS facility is for animals moving to Hawaii, as well as animals
en route to other locations and having a layover in Hawaii. Animals
are picked up from the airport holding facility at Honolulu
International Airport and are transported to the facility by staff
members of the AQS. In the event the animal is only traveling
through Hawaii, you must call the facility 72-hours ahead of the
animals expected arrival so that arrangements can be made for pickup
from and return to the airport holding facility.

EXCEPTIONS: "Those animals entering Hawaii on direct flights from
Australia, New Zealand, and the British Isles may be exempt from the
120 day rabies quarantine after meeting pre-shipment requirements.
These areas are rabies free and have quarantine programs that are
equal to, or are more stringent than Hawaii's." "Guide dogs, special
purpose animals, and those animals under continuous veterinary care
are required to comply with Hawaii's law."

PREPARING FOR YOUR PET'S MOVE: There is an extensive list of
pre-shipment requirements that must be met in order for your pet to
be allowed into Hawaii. The list of required vaccinations and
examinations is available from the AQS. It is suggested that all
required vaccines be administered at least 14 days prior to the
animal's arrival in Hawaii. In addition, there is an Owner's
Statement that must be filled out and returned to the AQS "at least
45 days prior to your pet's transport to Hawaii."

COST: The cost of the quarantine for a dog is about $620.00 for the
120 day period. This includes the $20.00 registration fee and the
daily fee of $5.00 (total $600.00). There are a number of related
fees that may or may not apply to you, depending on your situation.
A fee schedule is included in the information packet.

SPONSORS: If you will not be available to care for your dog while it
is in quarantine, a number of businesses can be contracted to act as
your pet's sponsor. The sponsor has the same rights/privileges as
the animal's owner. The sponsor may act on your behalf to arrange
grooming, approve medical care, have prescriptions filled, and other
required care. Sponsors and all other visitors must be registered
with the AQS by you, the owner, before they will be allowed into the
station.

MEDICAL CARE: Upon entry all animals are given an examination by the
station veterinarian, and are tested for heartworms and other
internal parasites. You will be notified of all test results. If
the heartworm test is negative, you or the sponsor will be given a
prescription for preventative medication that can be filled with a
local veterinarian. The medication can be administered by the
staff, but there will be a small fee. "You are responsible for your
pet's health while in quarantine. Owners must register with an
approved [animal] hospital." The AQS provides a list of approved
hospitals in the information packet. In the event of serious
illness while in quarantine, your pet will be transported to your
selected animal hospital by "qualified personnel for a nominal
charge."

ACCOMMODATIONS: All animals are kept in temporary kennels for the
first 21 days of quarantine as this is the most crucial time for
detection of rabies. After the initial three week period, the animal
will be moved to a permanent kennel. The kennels are cleaned daily
and disinfected regularly. The size of the kennel depends on the
size of the dog. Kennel sizes are six feet wide and range from 14
feet to 26 feet in length. Each run has a sheltered area.

c. North America:

Canada has a 4 month quarantine, except from the US, where rabies
vaccination documentation is sufficient.

d. South America:

No quarantines, but the animal must be up-to-date on vaccinations.

e. Europe:

Sweden has a four month quarantine; Finland has a quarantine of 3
[?] months. Most European countries do not have a quarantine or
only require proof of vaccinations.

f. Australia:

Dogs from New Zealand may freely enter Australia (but not from other
pacific islands). Dogs from Ireland or Britain may enter after a 2
month quarantine. All other animals must do six months of
quarantine in Hawaii or UK, a month out, and then 2 months in
Australia.

5. Shipping

You may find yourself shipping a dog, for various reasons. Most
people simply ship them as cargo on an airline. This works best when
the flight is a non-stop, and neither the start- or end-point is at
risk of too high or too low temperatures. There is at least one
company that ships dogs. This is

Pet Transfer
(world wide door to door pet moving service)
714-660-9390 (USA)
[There may be an 800 , but I do not have it.]

J. Vicious Dogs.

Interestingly, up until World War II, Pit Bulls were looked upon with
favor and patriotism. They were sturdy and loyal companions. WWI
propoganda depicts the Pit Bull as manifesting American virtues. For
example one poster showed a Pit Bull with other dogs representing
their country of origin and the caption saying "Independent, but not
afraid of any of them." At the same time, the Collie was considered
an unreliable dog that would attack people without provocation.

In many cases the reasons given for the "viciousness" of some breed
are racist or classist and ludicrous to those who know dogs and follow
the reports. The German Shepherd was vicious because of it's overly
inbred purity (read German Uber-mench theory). In Germany the Doberman
was vicious because it was impure (read tainted with non-Aryan dog
genes, whatever they are...).

What dog-knowers will tell you that human-aggressiveness and
dog-aggressiveness are totally different, and that, for example, dogs
bred to fight in fact had to be owner-safe in the most intense
situations where an owner needed to break two fighters apart.

Regarding attempts to ban certain breeds as "vicious," it should be
noted that the fault is not with the dog or the breed of the dog.
Unfortunately, certain breeds are perceived to be aggressive and
vicious. People pick up these types of dogs and encourage them to be
aggressive and vicious. The result is a badly-trained dog that has
been taught to fear people. In addition, other people start breeding
these dogs with poor temperament and the cycle continues. But it is
important to remember that the viciousness comes with poor training
and teasing of the dog and poor breeding practices. Thus, penalties
should focus on individuals who display irresponsibility in the
handling of their dog and on those breeders who breed with poor
temperament, rather than on an entire breed.

References:

Hearn, Vicki. _Bandit: The Dossier Of A Dangerous Dog_.

K. Waste Composting.

Are there sanitary and effective alternatives to shoveling feces from
your backyard into your trashcan? Especially if you have multiple
dogs?

There are a number of products on the market, such as the "Doggy
Dooly", "'Liminate", etc. Reported experiences vary widely. Some
were satisfied, others could not get them to work.

The basic premise is to set up a "composting pile" that, with added
enzymes, will decompose into odorless liquid and gas wastes. Some are
elaborate affairs that require you to dig a large pit lined with
gravel and bury a container (with the lid at ground level) over the
gravel that drains the decomposed and harmless waste into the soil
below. Others are simplar plastic bucket affairs.

Pros:
* Feces don't sit in the garbage all week.
* Don't need extra bags in cleaning stools up.

Cons:
* Composters rarely work in winters with below or near freezing
temperatures.
* Despite claims of "odorless waste products", the feces in there
can smell quite badly until fully decomposed.
* Rocks and sticks can interfere with digestion.
* Usually the amount of enzyme to add is fussy: it won't work well
with *either* too much or too little added.

L. Wolves and Wolf Hybrids.

First, note that there is a group in the ALT hierarchy called
alt.wolves. There, you can read firsthand experiences of hybrid
owners, and discuss other issues involving wolves and hybrids in
general.

Second, a note on whether it's possible to tell wolves from dogs genetically:

Research in the UCLA laboratory of Drs. Robert Wayne and Michael Roy
has centered on the use of new technology to distinguish wolves and
dogs from wolf-dog hybrids. In the past, the ability to identify
hybrids was limited by the lack of known genetic markers. The new
molecular tools that UCLA is using involves regions of DNA that are so
variable, each individual has a unique DNA fingerprint.

So far the UCLA lab has found 14 markers in dogs not found in gray
wolves and 37 markers in gray wolves not found in dogs. The
information allows the researchers to examine suspected wolf-dog
hybrids for the presence of both wolf and dog markers, so that they
can determine if an animal is pure wolf, pure dog, or some combination
of the two.

The UCLA team is currently in the process of analyzing their test by
using it on a known series of wolves and hybrids in a blind study,
where the origins of the lab samples are unknown at the time of
testing. If the test proves reliable enough, the researchers plan to
make this test available to others.

1. Wolves

Wolves are very different from canines, but they do share a common
ancestry. Wolves can be fascinating to study -- and observation of
wolves' social structure and behavior shed much insight into canine
behavior.

Resources and References:

Wolf Park is an organization whose mission is to conduct behavioral
research to obtain a better understanding of wolves in captivity and
in the wild, to disseminate scientific information and improve captive
animal management techniques, and to educate the general public to
gain a compassionate and realistic understanding of wolves and
ecology. Wolf Park is supported through memberships and donations.
Benefits include free admission to the park for one year, Wolf Park
News and Journal of Wolf Ethology, and discounts on books from the
bookstore. Behavior seminars directed by Dr. Erich Klinghammer are
offered. There is an Adopt-A-Wolf program as well. Note that they do
not deal with wolf-hybrids: many people attempt to donate their WH's
and they do not accept them. Their position is that wolf-hybrids are
a bad idea and a detriment to wolves and the Park's mission. They
will provide information about hybrids to those that ask.

Address: Wolf Park, Battle Ground, IN 47920. Phone: (317) 567-2265.

Mech, L. David. _The Wolf_. University of Minnesota Press, 1970.
384 pgs Softcover. ISBN: 0-1866-1026-6.
Complete description of the wolf, its behavior and ecology.
David Mech is a renowned wolf expert, and this is an extremly
informative and well written book.

Lopez, Barry H. _Of Wolves and Men_. Charles Scribner's Sons, 1978.
308 pgs Softcover. ISBN: 0-684-16322-5.
Description of wolves and their relationship with humans. Not
really a technical discussion of wolves like the first reference.

Crisler, Lois. _Arctic Wild_. New York, Harper. 1958.

Mowat, Farley. _Never Cry Wolf_. Boston, Little, Brown. 1963.

The Wolf Society of Great Britain produces the flyer "The Howler."
Prospect House
Charlton
Kilmersdon. Bath. BA3 5TN

2. Wolf-Hybrids

**********************************************************************
FAQ author's note: I disclaim *any* responsibility in the event you
get a wolf-hybrid. It is my personal recommendation that you not get
one. What follows is for informational purposes only and is presented
here only because it is a controversial topic that comes up every now
and then on this group. I have attempted to make a fair presentation,
and have included resources for further information.
--Cindy Tittle Moore
**********************************************************************

Anyone who is interested in getting a wolf-hybrid should obtain as
much information about the animals *before* considering getting one.
WH's are not casual pets and do not behave like dogs do. Most WH
experts recommend that you spend some time around WH's to be sure of
what you are getting into. Wolf Country and other places offer
programs where people can help care for WH's and learn first hand
about them. There are also seminars and organizations to help
disseminate the information a WH owner needs. **DO NOT EVEN
*CONSIDER* GETTING A WOLF-HYBRID BEFORE GETTING THIS INFORMATION AND
EDUCATION!**

What follows below is a thumbnail sketch of the sorts of problems with
wolf-hybrids, along with resources for more complete information.

Legality: Because of various state and federal laws regarding wildlife
and endangered species, wolf-hybrids are simply illegal. As of 1991,
they were illegal in ten states, and an additional nine required Fish
& Game permits, especially if the hybrid was at least 75% wolf. A lot
of states don't quite know what to do with hybrids and have thus
included such terminology in defining hybrids as "wolf-like
characteristics." Even when legal, they face much prejudice, and a WH
that runs afoul of the law (by trespassing, biting, etc) is much more
likely to be destroyed than a dog doing the same.

In addition, such a WH will generate negative publicity for wolves.
Reinforcing negative images of wolves in the public's mind and giving
ammunition to the ranching industry to produce more anti-wolf
propoganda directly hampers the wolf's reintroduction into the wild.
Unfair as it is, the general public will think "wolf" when
"wolf-hybrid" comes up, and the ranching industry has long had an
interest in completely eliminating wolves and will use this prejudice.

Behavior: Although there are exceptions, most WH's do NOT act like
domesticated dogs, Jack London's romantic stories notwithstanding.
Dogs are the result of thousands of years of genetic selection for
those attributes that are desired by man. The wolf, on the other
hand, has been selected to be a survivor. Most suffer from a fear,
or at least a nervousness, of being around people and are very timid
until something happens to go against their instincts. The pack
instinct is very strong. They will only obey their owner if they feel
he is the dominant dog in the pack, so obviously, he needs to know A
LOT about wolfpacks to stay ahead of the game. Also, hybrids don't
always automatically assume that the "master" will remain the master,
resulting in testing the owner for dominance, which can take the forms
of attacking or defensive fighting.

Predicting behavior: The percentage of wolf in the hybrid's background
will not accurately predict its behavior. Some hybrids with low
percentages are nervous and skittish, others with high percentages are
more stable and reliable. Looking at the pup's parents may give some
indication, but then it may not. A good deal will depend on how well
socialized the animal is, that is, how much work its owner puts into
it. Remember, WH's are NOT a breed, there is absolutely no
consistency in their breeding. Not only does the percentage of wolf
background vary, but the dogs used in the crosses also vary, although
they are commonly Malamutes and Huskies. Also, since they are not
bred for any particular purpose and there are a number of backyard
breeders of WH's, this contributes to their uncertain temperament.
Because WH are so much more work than average dogs, and because the
*potential* is there for the WH to be more prone to what is deemed
anti-social behavior in domesticated dogs, the problem is amplified.

Around people: WH's, as with any large or excitable animal, should
NEVER be allowed access to small children, unless they are on a leash
and strictly watched for signs of aggression. If a child trips and
falls, or gets knocked down by the big furry "dog", or worse yet,
teases the "dog", a mauling can easily result. Hybrids need to be
watched around strangers because they may back bite. Not all WH's
react this way, but a hybrid owner cannot afford to take any chances.
Again, because of negative public perception, the hybrid will likely
be destroyed as a result of such an incident, and its behavior only
reinforce the negative perception. In addition, it will further
damage the reputation of wolves, making reintroduction that much
harder, and damage the reputation of the dogs the wolves are bred to,
usually Siberian Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes.

Training: Many respondents emphasized that WH's can be trained, but
NOT TRUSTED without their owners nearby. Most obedience clubs will
not even allow wolf hybrids in classes. Wolf Country, a breeder near
Anchorage, strongly recommends potential owners work around the
animals for at least a year in order to see if they can handle them
and do want one. Apparently they socialize quite differently from
dogs, and can differ in their response to discipline. The normal
methods used on dogs may or may not work on a hybrid. Because of all
this, you will need WH support groups of some form nearby to help you
with potential training problems.

Housing: YOU DO NOT (repeat NOT) PUT A HYBRID ON A CHAIN IN THE BACK
YARD! You need to build an enclosure of at least 10000 square feet to
allow it to explore. Also it must be fenced with at least 7' high and
an overhang. Not only that, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to put a
gate to your back yard to prevent children from wandering out there,
because if you stick something into its area, it will try to pull it
through, regardless of whether it is living or just a stick. Some of
these animals are so strongly destructive that they can not be let in
the house, and will destroy any house you make for them.

Health: Most medicines for dogs do not work or are unapproved for use
on hybrids and as a result hybrids may have a harder time getting over
kennel cough, parvo, distemper, etc. In Indiana, for example, it is
illegal to vaccinate a wild animal (including hybrids).

In particular, there is NO vaccine that is approved for use on the
hybrids and that includes rabies. They *can* be vaccinated but if
they bite someone they are considered by law to be unvaccinated. This
means if they bite someone, they must be destroyed, with the head
sent to a laboratory to test for the presence of rabies.

Resources:

The Wolf Hybrid Times (WHT) is packed full of information: complete
with many long series on topics such as nuitrition, containment,
medical information, current legal status and issues, research, wolves
in literature, photos and seasoned, practical advice from owners,
breeders and scientists. Add to this commercial advertising
specifically geared to wolf and wolf hybrid owners plus regular
updates and activities from the various organizations. Subscription
rate is $22.00 per year; please add $4.00 outside the U.S. Published
bi-monthly. Address is: WHT, P.O. Box 1423, Gallup, NM 87305.

The National Wolf Hybrid Association is dedicated to responsible care
and understanding of the wolf hybrid. Membership fees are $25.00
yearly which includes a bi-monthly newsletter. Address: Rt. 1 Box 163
Chapmansboro, TN 37035. Phone: (615) 746-3442.

Donald H. Ashford, Treasurer Collen Schabacker
National Wolf Hybrid Association 2375 Honeysuckle Lane
2926 Bent Creek Road, Hartsville, TN 37074
Russellville, TN 37860

The following was taken from the Instructions and Requirements of the
Registration Application.

NWHA accepted dog breeds are: Siberian Husky, Alaskan Malamute,
Samoyed, and accepted strains of German Shepherd. Breeds of Dogs with
an aggressive nature that would take away from the temperament of the
wolf are not allowed and will not be registered such as: (Pit Bull,
Doberman, Rottweilers, etc..). Breeds of dogs that take away the
appearance of the wolf are not allowed and will not be registered.

NWHA will register 25% and below precentage.

NWHA reserves the right to refuse to register any wolf hybrid that
does not meet the assocation's standards.

NWHA reserves the right to correct or revoke, for cause, any
registration certificate issued. Any misrepresentation and/or
violation of integrity on the application is grounds for revocation
and may result in the loss of any or all NWHA privileges.

The purpose of the registry is to bring the wolf/dog cross to
perfection by quality breeding for temperament, intelligence,
conformation and wolf-like appearance.

It is understood that all should work actively to eleminate the
promotion of poor breeding practices and operations.

[Cindy Tittle Moore]

Archive-name: dogs-faq/new-dog
Last-modified: 29 Nov 1994

=======
The latest versions of these FAQ's may be found via the Web at
http://io.com/user/tittle/dogs-faq/homepage.html.

The multiple parts of the FAQ are all archived at rtfm.mit.edu

YOUR NEW DOG.

Prologue.
A. Why An Older Dog? What About Bonding?
B. Where Do I Find One?
C. How Do I Select A Suitable One?
D. What If I Already Have Other Dogs? Cats?
E. Acclimatizing Your Dog To A New Home.
F. Crate Training A Grown Dog.
G. Training Your Dog.
H. Neutering A Grown Dog.
I. Introducing New Things or Overcoming Dislikes

Prologue.

There is very little material out there to help people who have
adopted older, grown, "second-hand" dogs. Some shelters may have
handouts for their clients. Carol Lea Benjamin has written _Second
Hand Dogs_, which is the only book published to treat the topic
extensively (and even then it is a relatively small book). Other
books that are of use are: Job Michael Evans' _People, Pooches, and
Problems_, which will help you if you have some behavorial problems
with your new dog. Another of his books, _Evans' Guide to
Housetraining Dogs_ contains some sections on how to housetrain grown
dogs. There are undoubtedly bits and pieces elsewhere in other books.

A. Why A Grown Dog? What About Bonding?

Many people feel that an older, grown dog is better for them. Older
dogs don't require as much attention as a growing puppy does. They
are often easier to housetrain, if not already so trained. They are
past their chewing stage, and have settled down from the usual
adolescent boisterous behavior. Such a dog presents no surprises in
its final size and appearance. It may already have the traits they
want in a dog.

With an adult dog you have a much better idea of what you're going to
end up with. A puppy can have the genetic heritage to be aggressive,
a fear-biter etc. and you will not know until the dog is older. It's
also very easy to make mistakes raising a puppy. With an older dog,
the mistakes have already been made and it's generally not too hard to
tell which problems will be easily correctable.

So an older dog's previous history is actually an asset, not a
detriment. Quite often when a dog is put into a new situation, they
are looking for leadership and will attach to you almost immediately.
Even breeds known as "one-person" dogs will accept a new master rather
easily. For example, observe the relationship between a blind person
and a German Shepherd guide dog. These dogs have been through at
least 3 homes before they're matched with their blind people.

The research on bonding that is most often quoted (Clarence
Pfaffenberger's "New Knowledge of Dog Behavior") is almost always
misrepresented: i.e. the puppies in those studies were deprived of ALL
human contact until they were older; the research had nothing to do
with how well dogs that have bonded with some human or humans
transferred those bonds later on.

An additional benifit to adopting an older dog is the truely wonderful
feeling one gets when the dog comes out of its shell and bonds with
you. The bond feels special, particularly when it is an older dog
that no one wanted. The rescue and subsequent bond with that dog is
strong, lasting, and special.

Older dogs are often not adopted from shelters because many people
want puppies. It is wonderful when one can come in and offer a good
life to the older dogs.

B. Where Do I Find One?

There are a good many places you can find a grown dog. Besides the
obvious, like shelters, there are other sources. For example, breed
rescue organizations have many suitable adult dogs. Breeders often
have dogs that they have retired from the show circuit and are not
breeding; they also have younger dogs that simply never fulfilled the
potential that they showed as a puppy and thus cannot be shown or
bred. Both are otherwise perfectly good dogs.

Sometimes people give up their dogs because of death or divorce or
other personal upheaval. Perhaps the dog was intended for work, but
was injured and rendered unfit. An adult dog in need of a home is not
necessarily an abused dog with an unknown background.

Ask local veterinarians. They often know of dogs that need adoption.

1. Shelters

Shelters, of course, are a very obvious place to get adult dogs, but
it can be hard to get an idea of the dog's true behavior and
potential. Some breeds, like Shelties, may absolutely shut down in a
shelter and will appear to have behavior problems when they really
don't. Find out how much time and about the physical space your local
shelter is prepared to give you for evaluating dogs--beware of
shelters that won't even let you take the dog out of the kennel run to
see it! If the shelter will let you take the dog out on a lead and
spend some time playing with it you can generally get a good idea of
the dog's potential. Count on spending some time working with the
shelter staff to find the right dog for you.

Keep in mind that many dogs are at the shelter because their owners
couldn't or wouldn't keep the committment they had made by getting the
dog in the first place, not that the dog was at fault. Reasons
include "not enough time for the dog," "moving to another place,"
"dogs not allowed where living," "divorce," and "not enough space."
Frequently dogs with behavior that the previous owners could not
handle are fine in new homes. As long as you scrutinize your
potential dog carefully AND you are prepared for the work of owning a
dog, you are not likely to wind up with a problem dog or a problem
situation.

About 25% of the dogs at shelters are purebred! If you have a
specific breed in mind, you can check your shelters regularly in case
one comes in. Keep in mind that even if the dog arrives at the
shelter with its papers, many shelters will withhold the papers since
they don't want to see people take such a dog and then breed it. You
might get its pedigree without the registration, but even that's
uncertain. Many shelters will take down your name and the breed you
are interested in and call you when one comes in.

If you don't care about the breed, you can check your local shelters
for a dog that you want. You *should* have some idea of what size and
coat type you prefer before going in.

2. Breed rescue

You can contact a local breed rescue organization. These
organizations will scout shelters for dogs of their breed, take them
in, evaluate them, and put the adoptable ones up for placement. They
can give you a good idea of the dog's temperament and known
background.

Most major breeds are represented in most major cities. You can
always contact AKC for the address of the national breed club which
you can in turn ask about local addresses.

3. Breeders

Or, you can contact local breeders and see if they have older dogs
that they are trying to place. Sometimes a puppy that is kept as a
show prospect does not fulfill it's earlier promise and is
subsequently placed. Sometimes a brood bitch or a stud dog is retired
and the breeder looks for a suitable home for it. Some breeders do
keep their older pets, but in many cases find that a loving home for
it is in the dog's best interests. Breeders too have dogs that are
returned to them for any number of reasons: dog turns out to not be
show-quality, people are moving and can't keep the dog

Go to dog shows and ask around, or contact a breed club (note: for
some clubs, referrals to "rescue" dogs are handled by one volunteer,
whereas the puppy referral service also handles dogs that were
returned to their breeder--so when contacting a breed club, make sure
you've made contact with all the appropriate people).

4. Other places

Vets and kennels sometimes have abandoned dogs they are happy to place
into good homes; call around.

People sometimes give away or sell dogs through the newspaper: ask
carefully about why the dog is being given up. Many people are not
very knowledgable about dog behavior and will not be aware of if
problems are the result of heredity or the result of their own
mishandling. There is an advantage here of being able to see how the
dog was kept and get an idea of relationship between previous owner
and the dog. Sometimes the family is moving, or has lost some income,
or there have been deaths or other upheavals where the dog's behavior
is not an issue. Do make sure you don't feel pressured into taking
the dog just because the person wants you to take it.

C. How Do I Select A Suitable One?

Regardless of where you get your dog, you should make some effort to
evaluate it before making your decision. Does it follow you? Watch
you warily? What happens if you sit down next to it? How does it
respond to a leash? A sudden noise or movement? What is known about
its background? How does its health seem? Is it lame? Offer it a
tidbit and see what its reaction is.

If this is a dog through a rescue organization, chances are that a
foster family has been taking care of it in the interim. Ask them to
tell you what they've learned about the dog. If you have children or
other pets, ask them how it would react to them.

If you're looking at an animal shelter, you should have the
opportunity to interact with the dog in a fenced-in enclosure rather
than simply staring at it through the bars of it's kennel. Many dogs
are extremely shy or upset in the kennel and it's difficult to tell
what they are like. Bring some tidbits and see how it does outside
the kennel. Walk it around on a leash if you can.

If you are getting a dog from a breeder, then you should be able to
find out about all its background. Do ask all the questions you have.

You can evaluate it's temperament *to some extent*. Remember that the
dog may be anxious or disoriented and thus not behave as it would
normally.

In evaluating temperament,

* Talk to it. What is it's reaction? Does it look up at you?
Ignore you? Cringe and move as far away from you as it can?

* Stand up and move near it. How does it react to you? Does it
come up and lick your hand? Crouch down with ears down, perhaps
urinating? Back away? Back away with ears down and snarling?

* Squat down, extend a hand and let it approach you (do not approach
it). Does it come up (perhaps after some hesitation) and lick or
sniff your hand? Does it move away?

* If you have children, bring them along. How does the dog react
to the sight of them? To them walking up to it? To them sitting
down and waiting for the dog to approach?

* If you want to know how it reacts to cats, ask for permission
to walk the dog past the cat part of the shelter. You might
be able to improvise something else if you're not at a shelter:
walking it around the neighborhood past some cats, for example.

* Bring along a friend of the opposite sex with you to determine
if the dog is averse to the other sex or not. Some dogs have
specific fears of men, for example, so it's best to check this
out especially if this will be a family dog.

* If you walk away from it, does it follow you? How does it
react to various things when you take it on a walk?

Dogs that are obviously uncertain in their temperament (snarling and
biting, etc.) are not generally up for adoption at shelters. Dogs
that tend to whine or urinate or crouch down are generally submissive
dogs (not a problem unless it's severe or not what you want). Dogs
that approach you, even cautiously, tend to be friendly. This is
obviously just a rough indication of the dog's temperament. Stay away
from dogs that seem to be *too* fearful unless you feel you know
enough about dealing with these dogs to help it overcome it's fear.
These dogs can turn into fear-biters.

Indications of friendliness: Ears relaxed or down. Tail *level* with
body, moderate to fast rate of waving. Approaches and sniffs.
Watches you but averts eyes if you look at it too long. Play bows
(front legs lay down but back legs are still standing).

Indications of submissiveness: Ears down. Eyes constantly averted.
Dribbles a little urine. Rolls over on back. Licks your chin or
anything near. Tail tucked between legs.

Indications of fearfulness: Ears down, eyes averted, tail tucked,
runs away from you. Shivers in corner [some breeds shiver anyway].
Cringes or yelps at sudden movements.

Indications of dominance/assertiveness: Ears erect or forward, tail up
high and wagging stiffly [spitz type breeds can be difficult to
ascertain between friendly wagging & assertive wagging]. Holds
ground, stares at you. These are not *necessarily* bad things. If
the dog eventually approaches you and is friendly, then it's likely a
reasonably self-confident, friendly dog. If it growls, then it's
probably more aggressive.

Indications of aggression: Growls at you with ears forward and a
stiff-legged stance, tail still. Watchful and alert.

Indications of a fear-biter: Growls or snaps at you, ears are folded
flat back, posture is crouching or submissive even though it is growling
or snapping.

Some dogs appear totally disinterested. They don't respond one way or
another to you. These dogs may be sick. They might be overstimulated
or exhausted. Or they might just be very independent dogs. Some dogs
are more independent and less overtly affectionate than others.

Plan on making *repeated* trips to whatever agency/person has the dog
for repeated evaluations. Let the dog dictate the speed at which you
progress through these steps. For very shy dogs, it may take a full
week of visits to progress to step three. If the agency/person that
has the dog will not allow you to remove the dog from its current
environment for an evaluation, look elsewhere for a potential dog. It
is important to get the dog away from its current environment as it
may be very shy and timid there, by association, but carefree and
wonderful when alone with you, like on a walk. The only way to tell
is to remove the dog from the environment. Stated another way, you
should eliminate the current environment the dog is in from any
potential problems you may see with the dog. You will be able to tell
by comparing its reactions in the original environment and when it
it outside of it.

The questions you ask during these steps are often a function of the
environment in which the dog will be placed should you decide to adopt
it. For example, if you have other dogs at home and the potential
adoptee is housed with other dogs and seems to get along well with
them, chances are better that you will be able to integrate the dog
into your home, as opposed to a dog that is agressive towards other
dogs.

Implicit in these steps is asking the agency/person that has the dog
for all information they have about the dogs background. Just a stray
they picked up? Was it an abused dog? How did it come to be where it
is? All of these things give you more information that can be used to
evaluate the dog's personallity and suitability for adoption.

When you evaluate the dog during these steps, look for any physicaly
ailments as well. Lameness, shortness of breath, lethargy, and so on.
Above all during these steps, evaluate the dog and how the dog reacts
to you. It is important for you to feel confident that this is a dog
that you can nurture and spend time with and enjoy, and that it will
enrich your life. Do not feel bad if you must reject a potential
adoptee. This is part of the adoption process, and it is important
for you both to get off on the right foot.

If you decide to adopt the dog, you should always take it directly to
the vet before you even take it home. If there is something seriously
wrong with the dog, you want to find out before you've had the dog
long enough to form an attachment to it.

E. What If I Already Have Other Dogs? Cats?

Select a dog that is, to the best of your knowledge, accustomed to
other dogs (i.e., one that is socialized with other dogs). Also, pick
the opposite sex dog than the one you currently have, if possible.
Hopefully, you know your current dog well enough to know how well it
gets along with other dogs. If it is a naturally submissive dog when
around other dogs, it probably does not matter too much whether the
adoptee tends toward submissive or dominant (but not TOO dominant).
However, if your current dog is a dominant dog, a dog that has been
around you for a long time, or a male dog (generally speaking), your
best bet is a dog that tends towards the submissive and is *smaller*
than your current dog (like a small, quiet, female). Size is can be
important as your established dog may feel threatened by a newcomer
that is larger than he or she.

Introduce your established dog and the new addition in a neutral
place, like a park or a home that is new to both animals. Both dogs
should be on a leash. If your current dog is obediance trained, a
down/stay is in order. Allow them to sniff one another and encourage
play, discourage agression. Should your adoptee show agression,
forcibly place the dog in a submissive posture and hold it there (as
in an alpha roll). Then allow your established dog to come and sniff
the new dog. What this does is diffuse a potentially violent
situation by forcing the new dog to be submissive to your established
dog. The new dog learns to trust the established dog by realizing
that the established dog is not going to eat him, and your established
dog learns that the new dog is submissive to him. This fosters trust
amongst the two animals. This may not be necessary, but sometimes it
is. By all means, if the dogs want to play, LET THEM. In fact,
encourage them, and don't interfere unless you feel you must.

At home, the first thing you must do is establish a spot for each dog
that is physically separated from each other. Kennels, crates, or
even different rooms. Never, never, never feed the dogs together.
ALWAYS feed the dogs simultaneously in these physically seperated
areas (if in different rooms, close the doors while the dogs eat). If
you must free-feed, the dogs should be placed in their respective
areas for the entire time each one's food is down. Also use these
areas for "time-outs" when the dogs are misbehaving.

The second thing that is required is that you must be sure to spend
quality time with your established dog, and just with him. You may
even need to increase the frequency of normal activities you would do
with your established dog. This helps keep your established dog from
feeling misplaced by the newcomer.

Finally, be sure and do activities with both dogs. This encourages
the dogs to do fun things together, as well as fostering pack cohesion
and communication .

Remember, the general rule of thumb is to make sure that both dogs
realize you are alpha. They will need to work out their own hierarchy
among themselves, but they must understand that you are on top and you
are in charge.

With cats, you should make one room be cat accessible only. The
easiest way to do this is to put up a barrier in the doorway. As long
as your dog does not want to kill the cat(s), they will eventually
adjust. Make it very clear to your dog that it is not to chase cats
-- correct it for even looking at the cat -- and things should work
out. Keep in mind that cats can take up to six months to adjust to a
new dog, even a friendly one. Patience.

F. Acclimatizing Your Dog To A New Home.

The first thing you should do is take your dog out to the yard where
you expect it to eliminate. If possible, get the dog to eliminate
there. If not, take it inside and give it some water. Tour your
house and go back outside again. It should eliminate this time.

Take care to enter through doors before the dog does. When you feed
it, be sure you've already had your food, or eat some tidbit first.
You want to tell your dog, without fanfare or histrionics, that you're
in charge here. This puts many dogs at ease since they won't have to
wonder who the alpha is.

The dog should sleep in the same room with you, but not on the bed.
You should either use a crate, or a sleeping pad/towel, or tie it to a
bed post, although the crate is best.

Try and get into a predictable routine as soon as possible. Dogs
prefer a routine, and you will help your new dog settle in more
quickly by adhering to some routine. Examples: feeding at the same
times, walking at the same time, going to work and returning at the
same times.

Start right away with expected behaviors. If you don't want the dog
on the furniture, then don't let it on them from day one. Don't fall
into the common trap of thinking that the dog is moping and should be
given more leeway initially. If you expect good behavior
matter-of-factly from the beginning, you'll have less trouble in the
long run.

If the dog appears to be moping, leave it be but stay nearby. Don't
let it mope too long -- distract it with a walk or a bit of playing.

G. Crate Training An Older Dog.

You should take some effort to crate train your new dog, if it is not
already so trained. There are several benefits: if you have to
housetrain it, a crate is most helpful; a crate gives your dog a place
of its own which helps the adjustment period; and it gives you a means
to train it toward being left in your house all day.

Before a dog is locked into a crate, the dog must be as comfortable
with it as possible. If a dog is put into a crate while it is afraid
of the crate, the dog's fear may build while inside and the resulting
trauma may be impossible to overcome.

To make a dog comfortable, the dog must first learn not to fear it,
and then to like it. To alleviate fear, the following things can be
tried.

* Put treats or food into the crate for the dog. Start near the
mouth of the crate, and then move the treats farther inside each
time.
* Leave the door off the crate or tie it back at first. The door
can swing shut on the dog while the dog's head is in the crate,
startling the dog with the contact and the strange sound.
* Possibly get the dog used to part of the crate. For instance,
take the top half of the crate off and use all these tricks to get
the dog used to that alone, then repeat the process with the whole
crate.
* If the crate is big enough, get in yourself. (seriously!)
* Get the dog excited about a toy and throw it in the crate for the
dog to chase.
* Think of the crate as a good thing yourself. Dogs are good at
reading their master's attitudes. Never (ever) use the crate as a
punishment.
* Once the dog will go into the crate, feed the dog its meals in the
crate.
* If the dog seems particularly averse to the crate, try a different
type of crate (eg, instead of a wire mesh, try the plastic kind
or vice-versa).

Once the dog is unafraid of the crate, put the dog inside and close
the door. Immediately lavish the dog with praise and food for a short
time, then let the dog out. Do not, at this time, leave the dog alone
in the crate, or the dog will associate the crate with your leaving.
Also, before the dog is fully acclimated, it may grow panicky if left
in the crate long.

Finally, put the dog inside for progressively longer periods of time,
always praising the dog as it goes in, and perhaps giving treats.

H. Training Your Dog.

1. Obedience

The old adage that you "can't teach an old dog new tricks" is patently
false. Your dog may in fact be easier to teach than a young puppy
since the attention span will be better.

You should definitely look up obedience training in your area and
enroll yourselves. You will probably both enjoy yourselves quite a
bit, and it's a good way to build a strong relationship with your new
dog.

In addition, it is important to get the dog into obedience not just to
teach the dog good maners, but to get the dog socialized for other dog
and people. Plus, it will give the dog something to do, which is
often very benificial with older adopted dogs.

2. Housetraining

Sometimes dogs have trouble with housetraining when they are first
placed. There are a number of reasons: they may never have been
properly taught. Many dogs wind up in the shelter because their
owners didn't know how to teach dogs correct elimination habits.
Perhaps they have spent much of their lives outside or in kennels.
Such dogs may not understand that elimination is reserved for outside.

You should train these dogs exactly like you would a puppy, with the
big difference that they will catch on much more quickly, being adult
and having a full set of bladder muscles. Confine them to a crate or
otherwise watch them; take them outside regularly to eliminate. You
might try using a phrase such as "Do it" or "Go potty" -- especially
if your dog is a retired show dog, it may already understand this.
Patience is your best ally -- keep your dog's schedule consistent
until you're sure it understands where you expect it to go.

*Don't* punish a dog for going inside. You will get much better
results much more quickly if you anticipate its needs and have it go
outside, to your praise, each time. In fact, it is generally your
fault if the dog eliminated inside rather than yours.

You should note that some aggressive male dogs may mark your
entire house in an attempt to claim the house as his territory.
You should first get him neutered, and then, since such aggression
is likely to be a problem in other areas (such as growling when
you approach his food), you should consult a book such as
Evans' _People, Pooches, and Problems_.

Some dogs urinate submissively. If it is lying down, even on its
back, when it urinates, this is *not* a housetraining problem. This
dog needs work to raise its self-esteem. For now, avoid the problem
by toning down your approach to the dog. If it is urinating
submissively when you come home, make your arrival much less exciting.
Don't look at it for a few minutes, then just talk to it. Finally,
scratch it a bit on its chest (petting it on the head is very
dominant). Avoid bending at the waist over your dog. Squat instead.

In the long term, to deal with the problem of a too submissive dog,
you will have to teach it confidence and help it build up self esteem.
A good way to to do this is to some obedience training, though take
care to use motivational methods with little or no corrections (try
_Communicating with your Dog_ by Ted Baer for some good hints). Be
unstinting in your approval when the dog does something right.

I. Neutering An Older Dog.

Many people wonder if getting an older dog (of either sex) neutered
poses a problem for the dog. The answer is that it doesn't. Your
male dog will adjust easily to being neutered -- in fact he may well
behave as if he had never been neutered. The most likely change in
behavior is reduced aggression toward other male dogs. Your bitch
will not have any problems with being neutered either. Unfortunately,
she may not derive the health benefits of early neutering if she has
already had more than two estrus periods or is over two years of age
before being spayed. This means that you should be sure your vet
checks her for mammary cancers at each checkup even though she is
spayed.

As a general rule, ALL rescued dogs should be neutered. There are
some special circumstances, such as rescuing a dog of a known breeding
and returning it to its breeder, but these are extremely rare
ocassions and not likely to happen to the average dog-adopter.
Neutering an older dog of either sex will not hurt it at all.

I. Introducing New Things or Overcoming Dislikes

Your new dog may never have been, or actively dislike being, bathed,
groomed, nail-clipped. You will have to proceed slowly and with patience.
Take baby steps. Your dog hates being brushed? Start out with a
warm wet washcloth and rub in short lick-like strokes until the dog
relaxes, then stop. Repeat this and eventually introduce a short
bit of brushing, until the dog relaxes (always end on a positive note).
Eventually the dog will accept being brushed. You can do the same
technique with almost anything else. With clipping nails, first start
with the goal of getting the dog to accept your handling of it's paws.
Then accustom it to having its toes massaged & handled. Then to having
its nails flexed and handled. In the meantime, carry around the clippers
so that the dog learns to ignore them. When you actually start to clip
the nails, clip off a teeny piece off of ONE NAIL and put the clippers
away. Later on, do another nail. When the dog accepts this quietly,
do TWO nails, and so on.

If you find out that your dog is afraid of something, remove it from
its environment, intially. Plan out how you want to deal with it,
what steps and increments you want to take. Then slowly work on it.
Work on one thing at a time to reduce stress on your dog. By doing it
this way, you will build up the dog's self confidence and trust in
you.

[Cindy Tittle Moore]

Archive-name: dogs-faq/new-puppy
Last-modified: 19 Feb 1995

=======
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==========

YOUR NEW PUPPY

Author

Cindy Tittle Moore,l Copyright 1995.

Originally written April 1992.

Table of Contents

* Introduction
* Age to Separate from Litter
* Puppy-Proofing Your Home
* Puppies and Small Children
* Acclimatization and Socialization
* Don't Be Surprised When...
* Reinforcing Good Behavior
* Crying at Night
* Health: Vaccinations and Worms
* Teething
* Feeding Your Puppy
+ Feeding schedules
+ Dog food formulations
* Housetraining
* Preliminary Training
+ Obedience classes
+ Around the house


_________________________________________________________________

Introduction

A quick critical information list:
* Never hit a young puppy.
* Praise exuberantly.
* Be consistent with your dog, rather than harsh.
* Don't allow biting, but only correct after 14 weeks (yelp and
replace hand with toy before that)
* Never correct a dog after the fact.
* Dogs need new experiences with other people, dogs and places, when
very young to get socialized.
* Praise exuberantly.
* Dogs need successes and less correction before full maturity so
they can develop confidence.
* Train your dog in order to establish communication and give it
purpose, and make it tolerable.
* Dogs need to be in a dominance hierarchy with everyone; if you are
not above your dog, you will be below it.
* Praise exuberantly.
* Dominance over a dog is achieved with leadership, never harshness.

Some books that may help:

Benjamin, Carol Lea. Mother Knows Best: The Natural Way To Train Your
Dog. Howell Book House, New York. 1985. ISBN 0-87605-666-4. $15.95
hardcover.

She uses praise, contact, play and toys to motivate puppies, but she
does not recommend food training a young puppy. She does recommend
crate training and she also recommends sleeping in the same room
with the puppy. She provides methods to teach no, OK, good dog, bad
dog, sit stay heel, come, down, stand, go, enough, over, out,
cookie, speak, take it, wait and off to puppies. She talks about
canine language and talks some about mental games you can play with
your dog such as mirror games, and copying your dog and having him
copy you, chase games and even playing rough with your puppy. Most
training methods rely on the foundational relationship between an
owner and his dog, and this book provides some ideas on establishing
that relationship while the puppy is still young.

Brahms, Ann and Paul. Puppy Ed.. Ballantine Books. 1981.
ISBN:0-345-33512-0 (paperback).

Describes how to start teaching your puppy commands. This is a
thoughtful book that discusses in practical detail what you can and
cannot expect to do with your puppy in training it. They stress that
by expecting and improving good behavior from the start, later, more
formal training goes much easier.

Monks of New Skete, The. The Art of Raising a Puppy. Little, Brown and
Company (1991). ISBN: 0-316-57839-8 (hardback).

The monks of New Skete have put together an excellent book that
discusses puppy development and the things that should be done at
the appropriate stages and why. First they follow a newborn litter
through its various stages of development and at each stage they
discuss what is happening. They discuss testing puppies'
temperaments and what you want to look for, under which
circumstances. They discuss briefly dog breeds, and how to find
reputable breeders. They then launch into a series of useful
chapters: housebreaking, preliminary obedience, laying the
foundations of training, understanding (reading) your dog, how to
become the pack leader, basic training, discipline, and general
care. A good bibliography is provided at the back.

Randolph, Elizabeth. How to Help Your Puppy Grow Up to be a Wonderful
Dog. ISBN 0-449-21503-2.

The April 1993 edition of Dog Fancy is a "puppy primer" and it
contains articles on how to choose a breeder, name your puppy, make
housetraining easy, introduce grooming and solve basic puppy problems.
It works well in conjuction with the Monk and Benjamin books.
_________________________________________________________________

Age to Separate from Litter

Puppies should not be separated from their mother and littermates
before 8 weeks of age. Many recommend 10 weeks minimum. This is
related to physical considerations such as weaning and psychological
considerations such as the puppy's readiness to leave the litter.

Many breeders believe it is best to NOT have two puppies together.
They tend to bond to each other and not to you and that can cause
serious problems when it comes time to train them. Having two puppies
needing housetraining at the same time can make that process go on for
much longer. This implies that you would not introduce a second dog
before the other six months old and properly trained.

There are always exceptions, of course, and there are many happy dogs
dogs that were littermates or otherwise puppies together out there.
_________________________________________________________________

Puppy-Proofing Your Home

You should consider that a puppy has an absolute right to chew
whatever they can get at in your absence. You must put the puppy where
either it cannot do any damage, or you do not care about the possible
damage. Puppies can eat kitchen cabinets, destroy furniture, chew on
carpet, and damage a wide variety of other things. Besides the
destruction, the puppy may well injure itself, even seriously.

A good solution to this is a crate. A crate is any container, made of
wire mesh or plastic, that will hold the puppy comfortably, with
enough room to stand and curl up and sleep, but not too much that it
can eliminate in one corner. See the section on crates below. Other
solutions include fencing off part of the house, say the kitchen or
garage or building an outside run. Be sure the area is puppy-proofed.

Please put your pup in an environment it can't destroy. Puppies are
too immature to handle temptations. Depending on the breed, most dogs
begin to gain the maturity to handle short stints with mild
temptations when they're about 6 months old. Consider the analogy with
a baby, where you keep it in a crib, stroller, or pen if you are not
holding it.

It is essential to puppy-proof your home. You should think of it in
the same way as child-proofing your house but be more through about
it. Puppies are smaller and more active than babies and have sharp
teeth and claws. Things of especial concern are electric wires. If you
can get through the puppy stages without having your pup get a shock
from chewing a wire you are doing a great job! When puppy proofing
your home, get down on your hands and knees (or lower if possible) and
consider things from this angle. What looks enticing, what is
breakable, what is sharp, etc. The most important things are watching
the puppy and, of course, crating it or otherwise restraining it when
you can't watch it.

Another step in puppy proofing is house proofing the puppy. Teach it
what is and isn't chewable. The single most effective way to do this
is by having a ready supply of chewable items on hand. When the puppy
starts to chew on an unacceptable item (be it a chair, rug, or human
hand), remove the item from the puppy's mouth with a stern, "NO!" and
replace it with a chew toy and praise the puppy for playing with the
toy. If you are consistent about this, the puppy will get the idea
that only the things you give it are to be chewed on! Don't stint on
the praise, and keep the "No!" to a single calm, sharp noise -- don't
yell or scream the word.

There are some products that can help make items unpalatable and thus
aid in your training. Bitter Apple and Bitter Orange (available at
most pet stores) impart a bitter taste to many things without
staining, etc. You should not depend on these products to keep your
puppy safe, but use them as a training aid.
_________________________________________________________________

Puppies and Small Children

Keep puppies and very small children apart or under close supervision.
Small children do not understand the need for keeping fingers out of
puppies' eyes or refraining from pulling painfully on their tails,
among other problems. So keep children 6 years or so and younger away
from the puppy until it is grown, for the safety of the puppy.

Teach your children how to approach a puppy or dog, to prevent being
jumped on. They should understand that they should put out their hands
below the pup's chin, to keep it from jumping at a hand above its
head. They should not scream or run away, as the puppy will then chase
the child.

There are several books dealing with children and dogs. Try Jack and
Collen McDaniel's Pooches and Small Fry, published by Doral
Publishing, 800-858-9055. This book is full of good suggestions for
teaching both children and dogs how to behave with one another.
_________________________________________________________________

Acclimatization and Socialization

Accustom your puppy to many things at a young age. Baths, brushing,
clipping nails, cleaning ears, having teeth examined, and so on.
Taking the time to make these things matter of fact and pleasant for
your puppy will save you a world of time and trouble later in its
life.

For example, every evening before the dog eats (but after you have put
its bowl down), check its ears by peeking in the ear and touching it
with your fingers. Do this every evening until the dog stops fussing
about it. Continue to do it and you'll always know if your dog's ears
are okay.

Brushing is important, especially for double coated or long-haired
dogs when they begin to shed. A little effort now to get your puppy to
enjoy brushing will save you a lot of trouble later when it begins to
shed and shed and shed...

During your puppy's first year, it is very important that it be
exposed to a variety of social situations. After the puppy has had all
its shots, carefully expose it to the outside world. Take it to
different places: parks, shopping centers, schools, different
neighborhoods, dog shows, obedience classes--just about anywhere you
can think of that would be different for a little puppy. If the puppy
seems afraid, then let it explore by itself. Encourage the puppy, but
be firm, not coaxing. If you want to take the pup in an elevator, let
it try it on its own, but firmly insist that it have the experience.
Your favorite dog food and supply store (unless it's a pet store) is a
good place; dog shows are another. You want the pup to learn about the
world so that it doesn't react fearfully to new situations when it is
an adult. You also want it to learn that you will not ask it to do
anything dangerous or harmful. Socializing your dog can be much fun
for you and the dog!

Do not commit the classic mistake made by many owners when their dogs
exhibit fear or aggression on meeting strangers. DO NOT "soothe" them,
or say things like "easy, boy/girl," "it's OK..." This serves as
REINFORCEMENT and ENCOURAGES the fear or growling! Instead, say "no!"
sharply and praise it WHEN IT STOPS. Praise it even more when it
allows its head to be petted. If it starts growling or backing up
again, say "no!" Be a little more gentle with the "no" if the dog
exhibits fear, but do be firm. With a growling dog, be much more
emphatic and stern with your "no!"

If you are planning to attend a puppy class (and you should, they are
not expensive) ask the instructor about her/his views before you sign
up. If socialization is not part of the class, look elsewhere.

The Art of Raising a Puppy has many valuable tips and interesting
points on the subject of socializing puppies.
_________________________________________________________________

Don't Be Surprised When...

Your puppy doesn't seem to pick up the idea of whining at or going to
the door to tell you it needs to go to the bathroom. Many puppies do
not begin this behavior until they are four or five months old.

Your puppy does not seem to pick its name up quickly. Sometimes it
takes several weeks before you consistently get a reaction when you
say its name. (Be careful not to use its name in a negative sense!
Clap or shout instead.)

Your puppy does not seem to be particularly happy with verbal praise.
You need to pair verbal praise with physical praise for a few months
before your puppy understands and appreciates verbal praise.

Your puppy falls asleep in the middle of some other activity. Puppies
need lots of sleep but since they are easily distracted, they
sometimes forget to go to sleep and so will fall asleep at bizarre
times: while eating, chewing, or even running.

Your puppy twitches while sleeping. This indicates healthy neural
development. Twitching will be most pronounced for the first few
months of the puppy's life, and slowly diminish thereafter. There are
many adult dogs that continue some twitching. Expect muffled woofs and
snuffling noises, too.

Your puppy hiccups. Many puppies hiccup. The only thing to do is wait
for them to pass. Don't worry about it, they will outgrow it.
_________________________________________________________________

Reinforcing Good Behavior

Puppies want attention. They will do a lot to get that attention --
even if it is negative! Thus, if you scold your puppy for doing
things you don't want it to do, and ignore it when it is being good,
you are reinforcing the wrong things. Ignore the bad things (or stop
it without yelling or scolding) and enthusiastically praise it when
its doing what you want, even if it's as simple as sitting and looking
at you, or quietly chewing one of its toys. This can be difficult to
do, as it is essentially inverting all your normal reactions. But it
is very important: you will wind up with a puppy that pays attention
to you and is happy to do what you want, if it understands you.
_________________________________________________________________

Crying at Night

Your puppy wants to be with the rest of the "pack" at bedtime. This
behavior is highly adaptive from the standpoint of dog behavior. When
a puppy becomes separated from its pack it will whine, thereby
allowing it to be found and returned to the rest of the group. This is
why so many books on puppies and dog behavior strongly recommend that
you allow your puppy/dog to sleep with you in your room to reduce the
liklihood of crying at night.

Try moving the crate into your bedroom. If your puppy whines, first
make sure it doesn't have to go outside to eliminate. This means
getting up and taking it outside. If it whines again, or doesn't need
to go outside, bang your hand on the crate door and say something like
"NO, SLEEP" or "NO, QUIET". If the puppy continues to whine, try
giving it a toy or chew toy and then simply ignore any continued
whining. If you don't reinforce the whining by comforting it (other
than to take it outside -- which is OK), it will eventually learn to
settle down. Also, be sure to have a vigorous play session JUST BEFORE
you are going to go to bed. This should poop it out and it will sleep
much more soundly.

Alternatively, you can designate a spot for your puppy on the bedroom
floor. Keep the door closed or put a leash on it to keep it close to
the bed. When it whines or moves about, take it out to eliminate.
Otherwise, as above, say "NO, SLEEP."

Puppies that cannot sleep in the bedroom for whatever reason may be
comforted by a ticking clock nearby, and a t-shirt of yours from the
laundry.
_________________________________________________________________

Health: Vaccinations and Worms

Newborn puppies receive immunization against diseases from colostrum
contained in their mothers milk while nursing (assuming the bitch was
properly vaccinated shortly before the breeding took place).
Initially, during their first 24 hours of life, maternal antigens
(passive immunity) are absorbed through the pups intestines which are
very, very thin during those first few hours (this is why it is so
important that puppies nurse from the mother during that critical
time). After the colostrum ceases (a day or so later), the maternal
antigens decline steadily.

During this time, puppies cannot build up their own natural immunity
because the passive immunity gets in the way. As the passive immunity
gradually declines, the pup's immune system takes over. At this time,
the pups should be given their first immunization shots so they can
build up their own antibodies against them. However, there is no way
to tell when passive immunity is gone. This is why pups should be
given a shot every few weeks (2 - 3 weeks apart and a series of at
LEAST three shots).

Picture a plot of antibody level versus time. Maternal antibody is
steadily declining. You just don't know the rate. At some level, say
X, protection from parvo is sufficient. Below X, protection may be
less than effective against an infection. In general, vaccine antigen
cannot stimulate the puppy's own immune system until the maternal
antibody level is below X. Let's say it is .7*X. Here's the rub. The
antibody level spends some time dropping from X to .7X. During this
time, even if you vaccinated every day, you would (in this theoretical
discussion) not be able to stimulate immunity. Yet you are below that
level of maternal protection at which infection can be effectively
fought off.

Thus the importance of giving several vaccinations at 2-4 week
intervals until around 16-18 weeks. One maximizes the chance of
catching the puppy's immune system as soon as it is ready to respond,
minimizing the amount of time the puppy may be susceptible to
infection.

IMPORTANT: The last shot should be given AFTER 16 weeks of age (4
months) to be SURE that dam's antibodies have not gotten in the way of
the pup building up its own immunity (read the label of the vaccine!).


Up until 8 weeks or so, the shots should consist of Distemper,
Measles, and CPI. After that, it should be DHLPP (Distemper,
Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parainfluenza and Parvovirus). This is at
minimum: you may need to add other vaccinations appropriate to your
area, such as Lyme, Heartworm (actually a preventive medicine), Rabies
(most places), and so on.

You should keep your puppy away from all strange dogs. If you know
that a particular dog is current on its shots and not carrying
disease, then go ahead and let your puppy socialize. The same holds
true for people. Ask them to wash their hands before they play with
your puppy. It can't hurt and it could save you a great deal of grief.
As your puppy gets its shots, you can slowly add more and more
exposure to its life. But keep in mind this is an infant and needs
gentle care!

Worms can present a serious problem to puppy health. There is no good
way to prevent puppies from having worms, for a variety of reasons.
You should take your puppy in regularly for worm-testing. Worms can
interfere with the puppy's growth if left unchecked. Since it is very
common for puppies (even from the best breeder) to have worms from the
dam's dormant worms, you must take care to have your puppy checked
regularly when young.
_________________________________________________________________

Teething

Around 4 to 5 months of age, puppies will start to get their permanent
teeth. There are several things you can do, both to ease the pain and
control the chewing.
* Make some chicken soup (low sodium variety or make it yourself)
ice cubes and give them to the puppy.
* Soak a clean rag in water, wring it out and then freeze it
(rolling it up helps) and give it to your puppy to chew on.
* Soften the kibble a bit with water.
* Discourage biting on your arm or hand for comfort.

Puppies lose their teeth in a distinct pattern: first the small front
teeth come out. Then the premolars just behind the canines. Then the
molars in the back come out (and you'll see adult molars behind those
erupting as well). Finally the canine teeth come out. Sometimes the
adult canines erupt before the baby canines have come all the way out.


During this time, some discomfort, including bleeding gums is to be
expected. Your puppy will want to chew more during this period of
time, but it may also be too painful to do so (hence the suggestions
above). You will probably find few if any of the teeth your puppy
loses, as puppies typically swallow them.
_________________________________________________________________

Feeding Your Puppy

Premium pet food tends to have higher nutritional value. In
particular, foods such as Science Diet, Eukanuba, Nature's Recipe.
This means you can generally feed your dog a smaller amount of food.
Also, they tend to be highly digestible which means that there is less
waste to clean up in the yard. For these two reasons, many people feed
their pets premium foods over grocery store foods. But the decision is
yours and many healthy, happy dogs have been raised on plain Purina
Dog Chow.

FEEDING SCHEDULES

There are two methods you can use to feed your puppy: free feeding and
scheduled feeding. Free feeding is when dry food is left out all day
and the dog eats as it wishes. Scheduled feeding gives the dog food at
set times of the day, and then takes it away after a period of time,
such as a half hour. In most cases, you are best off feeding your
puppy on a schedule. This better controls elimination when trying to
housetrain. In addition, many dogs will overeat and become overweight
on a free-feed schedule. But for other dogs, such as dogs with gastric
problems or older dogs, frequent small meals may be better for them.
If you are unsure, you may want to discuss your particular situation
with your vet.

DOG FOOD FORMULATIONS

Read your labels, know your dog food products. There are different
kinds of dog food out there. Some are formulated very precisely for
different periods in a dog's life, and what is appropriate at one
stage is not appropriate at another. Others are generically formulated
and are supposed to be OK for any dog under any conditions. This means
that they are formulated up to the growing puppy level. There is
nothing wrong with either approach, unless the generically formulated
dog food comes out with a "puppy food" version. These are packed even
higher with extra nutrition, etc, than the puppy really needs, since
the original formulation was already sufficient for the puppy.

If you are using the latter type of puppy food, many veterinarians and
breeders (particularly of larger breeds) recommend that you NOT feed
it for the first year as is recommended on the bags of food. They
recommend that you feed puppy food ONLY for the first two months that
you have the puppy at home and then switch to adult food. A good "rule
of thumb" is to switch to adult food when the puppy has attained 90%
of its growth (exactly when this is reached varies by breed and size).
The nutritional formulation (especially the extra protein and calcium)
can actually cause problems in puppy development. The problem tends to
be with growth of bones vs. growth of tendons, ligaments, and muscle.
The growth rates are not the same and so the connections are strained
and if the dog jumps wrong or is playing too hard, the connections can
be torn. This typically happens in the front shoulder and requires
surgery and several months of confinement to repair. The added calcium
in puppy food may deposit on puppies' bones causing limping.

This is not a problem with the more closely formulated foods that have
adult foods that are specifically labelled as unsuitable for puppies
or lactating bitches.
_________________________________________________________________

Housetraining

The idea is to take advantage of a rule of dog behavior: a dog will
not generally eliminate where it sleeps. Exceptions to this rule are:
* Dogs that are in crates that are too large (so the dog can
eliminate at one end and sleep at the other end).
* Dogs that have lived in small cages in pet stores during critical
phases of development and have had to learn to eliminate in the
cage.
* Dogs that have blankets or other soft, absorbent items in the
crate with them.
* Dogs that are left for too long in the crate and cannot hold it
any longer.

If the crate is too big (because you got an adult size one), you can
partition the crate off with pegboard wired to the sides to make the
crate the correct size, and move it back as your puppy grows. RC
Steele also sells crate dividers.

To house train a dog using a crate, establish a schedule where the dog
is either outside or in its crate when it feels the need to eliminate.


Using a mild correction when the dog eliminates inside and exuberant,
wild praise when the dog eliminates outside will eventually teach the
dog that it is better to go outside than in. Some owners correct more
severely inside, but this is extremely detrimental to the character of
puppies. To make the dog notice the difference between eliminating
inside and outside, you must praise more outside rather than
correcting more inside.

The crate is crucial because the dog will "hold it" while in the
crate, so it is likely to have to eliminate when it is taken out.
Since you know when you dog has to eliminate, you take it out and it
eliminates immediately, and is praised immediately. Doing this
consistently is ideal reinforcement for the behavior of going out to
eliminate. In addition, the dog is always supervised in the house, so
the dog is always corrected for eliminating indoors. This strengthens
the inhibition against eliminating inside.

In general, consistency is MUCH more important than severe corrections
when training a dog. Before a dog understands what you want, severe
corrections are not useful and can be quite DETRIMENTAL. Crating
allows the owner to have total control over the dog in order to
achieve consistency. Hopefully, this will prevent the need (and the
desire) to use more severe corrections.

Housetraining is relatively simple with puppies. The most important
thing to understand is that it takes time. Young puppies cannot wait
to go to the bathroom. When they have to go, they have to go NOW.
Therefore, until they are about four months old, you can only
encourage good behavior and try to prevent bad behavior. This is
accomplished by the following regime.
* First rule of housetraining: puppies have to go to the bathroom
immediately upon waking up.

* Second rule of housetraining: puppies have to go to the bathroom
immediately after eating.

With these two rules goes the indisputable fact that until a puppy is
housetrained, you MUST confine them or watch them to prevent
accidents.

This means that the puppy should have a place to sleep where it cannot
get out. Understand that a puppy cannot go all night without
eliminating, so when it cries in the night, you must get up and take
it out and wait until it goes. Then enthusiastically praise it and put
it back to bed. In the morning, take it out again and let it do its
stuff and praise it. After it is fed and after it wakes up at any
point, take it out to eliminate.

Make it aware that this is not play time, but understand that puppies
get pretty excited about things like grass and snails and leaves and
forget what they came outside to do! Use the same spot each time if
you can, the smell will help the puppy remember what it is to do,
especially after 12 weeks of age.

To make life easier for you later on, use a key phrase just when the
puppy starts to eliminate. Try "hurry up," "do it," or some similar
phrase (pick one and use it). The puppy will begin to eliminate on
command, and this can be especially useful later, such as making sure
the dog eliminates before a car ride or a walk in the park.

Don't let the puppy loose in the house unless it has just gone
outside, and/or you are watching it extremely closely for signs that
it has to go. The key to housetraining is preventing accidents. If no
accidents occur (ha!), then the dog never learns it has an option
other than going outside.

For an idea of what this can involve, here is a hypothetical
situation, assuming that you work and it takes you about 1/2 hour to
get home from work:
* 03:00 Let dog out, go to bathroom, return to crate
* 07:00 Let dog out, go to bathroom
* 07:15 Feed dog in crate, leave dog in crate
* 08:00 Let dog out, go to bathroom, return to crate
* 08:15 Owner goes to work
* 11:30 Owner returns, lets dog out
* 11:45 return dog to crate, owner returns to work
* 17:00 Owner returns, lets dog out, go to bathroom, play
* 19:00 Feed dog in crate, leave in crate
* 19:45 Let dog out, go to bathroom, play
* 23:00 Let dog out, put dog in crate, go to bed.

For a comprehensive discussion on housetraining dogs, see

Evans, Job Michael. The Evan's Guide for Housetraining Your Dog. ISBN:
0-87605-542-0.

Evans was a monk at New Skete for some years. He discusses all
aspects of housetraining puppies and dogs, giving many constructive
solutions for all kinds of specific problems.

Benjamin's Mother Knows Best discusses paper training in more detail
than is covered here.
_________________________________________________________________

Preliminary Training

It is essential for every dog, no matter how big, or small, or whether
you want to show, or work, or just play with, to have basic obedience
training. If you want to go beyond the basics, that's great. But at
least do the basics. One way to think of it is that without basic
obedience, you and the dog don't speak the same language so how can
you communicate? But with basic obedience, you can tell the dog what
you want it to do and it will understand you and do it. Another way to
think of it is getting your dog to be a Good Citizen: it doesn't jump
on people, or run off, or indulge in other obnoxious behaviors --
because it knows what you expect of it.

OBEDIENCE CLASSES

Find a good class and attend it. Many places have puppy kindergarten
classes; this also helps socialize your puppy. Do 10 minute training
sessions every day. And if you like it, keep going. You'd be amazed at
all the activities you can do with your dog once you and the dog learn
the basics! Training is fun and simple if approached that way. Enjoy
it!

AROUND THE HOUSE

Puppies can be started far earlier than many people believe. In fact,
waiting until your pup is 6 months old to start training it is VERY
late, and will be the cause of a LOT of problems. Start right away
with basic behavior: use simple, sharp "no's" to discourage chewing
hands or fingers, jumping on people, and many other behaviors that are
cute in puppies but annoying when full grown. Don't be severe about
it, and praise the puppy *immediately* when it stops. Tie the puppy
down in sight of people eating dinner to prevent begging and nosing
for food (if you put it in another room, it will feel ostracized and
begin to cry). If your puppy bites and scratches you when playing,
give it a toy instead. Give a good, loud *yelp* or *ouch* when the
puppy bites you. This is how the other puppies in the litter let each
other know when they have crossed the line, and it is a good way to
get the puppy's attention and let it know that biting is not
acceptable.

The other side of the coin is immediate praise when your puppy stops
after a "no". You may feel like this is engaging in wild mood swings
(and you may well get odd looks from other people); that's all right.
You're making your wishes crystal clear to the puppy. It also needs
positive as well as negative reinforcement: how would you respond if
people only ever yelled at you when you did something wrong?

Introduce things in a fun way without "corrections" just to lay a
foundation for formal training later on. Formal training, demanding or
exact, is not appropriate at this stage. Instead, concentrate on
general behavior, getting its attention, introducing things that will
be important later in a fun way, and some other preliminary things,
such as discouraging it from lagging or forging on the leash (but not
making it heel!). In sum, lay a good foundation for its future
development and behavior.
_________________________________________________________________


Your New Puppy FAQ

[Cindy Tittle Moore]

Archive-name: dogs-faq/publications
Last-modified: 29 Nov 1994

=======
The latest versions of these FAQ's may be found via the Web at
http://io.com/user/tittle/dogs-faq/homepage.html.

The multiple parts of the FAQ are all archived at rtfm.mit.edu

PUBLICATIONS

A. Addressing Behavior Problems
B. Annual Publications
C. Books on Canine Health & Care
D. Breed Information Books
E. Canine Behavior
F. Dogs and the Law
G. Dog Stories
H. General Care
I. Herding
J. Miscellaneous
K. Obedience Training
L. Puppies
M. Research Articles on Canine Health
N. Search and Rescue
O. Service Dogs
P. Sled Dogs
Q. Tracking or Trailing: Scenting
R. Training Hunting Dogs
S. Working Dogs (other)

Notes:
L = British pounds sterling
$ or USD = US dollar
CA$, CND or CAD = Canadian dollar

A. Addressing Behavior Problems.

Benjamin, Carol Lea. _Dog Problems_. Doubleday and Co. 1981. ISBN
0-385-15710-X. $13.95 hardcover.

Evans, Job Michael. _The Evan's Guide for Housetraining Your Dog_.

ISBN: 0-87605-542-0.
Evans was a monk at New Skete for some years. He discusses all
aspects of housetraining puppies and dogs, giving many
constructive solutions for all kinds of specific problems.

Evans, Job Michael. (1991). People, Pooches, & Problems. NY:

Howell Book House. ISBN 0-87605-783-0 (hardcover). $19.95.

Excellent suggestions for dealing with common problems between dogs
and their owners. Highly recommended.

Fisher, John. _Why Does My Dog...?_. Howell Book House, New York;
Maxwell Maxmillian, Ontario. c1991. ISBN: 0-87605-792.
A wide range of problems and various solutions are listed.
Sometimes the problems are solved with a change of diet, more often
with simple but effective techniques. It is written much like an
encyclopedia, each section describing a problem followed with a
series of questions and answers about the problem. In most cases,
the scenarios are supplied from actual incidents in his practice.
The author is a member of the Association of Pet Behavior
Counsellors (APBC), based in Britain and Ireland.

Johnson, Nancy E. _Everyday Dog_. Howell Book House, New York. 1990.

Kilcommons, Brian, and Sarah Wilson. _Good Owners, Great Dogs_.
Good suggestions for socializing young dogs and for working on
behavior problems with adult dogs.

Milani, Myrna M., DVM. _The Weekend Dog_. Signet (Penguin Books USA,

Inc.) (1985). ISBN: 0-451-15731-1 (paperback).
This book outlines practical solutions for working people with dogs.
It has excellent suggestions for understanding dog behavior,
particularly destructive or unwanted behavior. Gives all kinds of
practical solutions to the problems of adequate exercise, adequate

training, housebreaking, and so forth.

O'Farrell, Valerie. _Problem Dog, Behavior and Misbehavior_. Methuen.
Lots of stuff and covers many behavior problems, neurotic problems
and dog psychology.

Pryor, Karen. _Don't Shoot the Dog: The New Art of Teaching and
Training by Karen Pryor_. Bantam, New York. 1985. c1984.
She presents different behavioralistic techniques for dealing with
several example situations (i.e. "Dog barks all night", "Roommate
leaves dirty laundry all over apartment," "Bus driver is rude,"
etc.) This would NOT be a good book for someone who wanted to teach
their dog to sit and come, but it discusses how the trainer's
actions "shape" the trainee's responses. Definitely a must-read for
people who are interested in "inducive" training, and should be
thought-provoking for any trainer who is thinking about training on
a higher level than "When the dog does this, give him a good collar
correction"--but experienced dog trainers will find a lot to quibble
about in what she says.

B. Annual Publications.

_1993 DOGS USA Annual_. Published by the Dog Fancy magazine folks.
Contains great articles, beautiful photos, a list of breeders
throughout the US and Canada for nearly every breed, PLUS a list of
obedience trainers, by state. This publication (by the folks who
bring you Dog Fancy) should be in every dog-owner's library.

_Dogs Annual in Canada_.

This includes information on breeders and descriptions for every

breed, how to choose a breeder, directory of trainers, basic

training and health care information, and more. It is an annual
that becomes available about the first week of December, and retails
for about CND $6.

C. Books on Canine Health & Care

Good Dog! Magazine. _The Dog Food Book_
According to Good Dog!: Packed with solid information on shopping
for food, secrets of the business, nutrition basics, research into
ethoxyquin, allergies, bloat and much more. 79 pages but crammed
with good stuff from 5 years of Good Dog! $11.95 postpaid, send
email to goodd...@aol.com for details.

_Merck Veterinary Manual_

Boyle, George E. VMD and Charles L. Blood. _First Aid For Dogs_.
Dembner Books, 80 8th Avenue, NY, NY 10011. 1988. ISBN:
0-942637-03-8.
This book is a handy guide on how to quickly deal with injuries to
your dog before bringing him in to the veterinarian for more
complete treatment. Written in a direct, refreshing style, this
book covers emergencies from tick removals to whelping puppies
("Blessed and Not So Blessed Events."). Tips on travelling, how to
deal with seizures, a list of poisons...a lot is packed into this
trade paperback book. Illustrated with photographs. I highly
recommend this book.

Carlson, Delbert G., DVM, and James M. Giffin, MD. _Dog Owners's Home
Veterinary Handbook_. Howell Book House, Macmillan Publishing

Company, 866 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022 USA (1980). ISBN:

0-87605-764-4 (hardback).

This comprehensive book is a complete guide to health care of dogs.
It lets you know when you can treat the dog, or when you need to
take it to the vet post-haste. It lists symptoms so that you may
inform your vet of relevant information about its condition. The
arrangement of the material facilitates rapid reference.
Illustration of key procedures (pilling, taking pulse/temperature,
etc). Lists poisonous substances, including houseplants. A

valuable book to have around.

Clark, Ross D. and Joan R. Stainer, eds. _Medical and Genetic Aspects
of Purebred Dogs_. Veterinary Medicine Publishing Co., Edwardsville,
KA. 1983. ISBN 0-935078-24-X. 576 pages.
For most AKC breeds and a few UKC breeds, there are sections on
Origin & History
Description
Breeding and Whelping
Recognized Problems
Old Age
This accumulation of knowledge about the health of specific breeds
from breeders and veterinarians provides the potential dog owner
with information that can help them select a strong breed, an
informed and caring breeder, and a healthy pet.

Cole, Joanna. _My Puppy is Born_.
Photographs by Margaret Miller (Miller breeds Norfolk terriers,
which is the breed featured)

Evans, J.M. and Kay White. _The Dogopedia: A complete Guide to Dog
Care_. Henston, Ltd, England. 1985. ISBN: 0-9510620-0-X. L6.95.
An inexpensive guide to dogs.

Evans, J.M. and Kay White. _The Book of the Bitch: A Complete Guide
to Understanding and Caring for Bitches_. Henston Ltd, England. 1988.
ISBN 1-85054-115-0. L6.95.

Lanting, Fred L. _Canine Hip Dysplasia and Other Orthopedic Problems_.
Alpine Publications, Inc., CO. 1981. ISBN 0-931866-06-5.
Also available from R.C. Steele.

McGinnis, Terri DVM. _The Well Dog Book_, second ed. 1992.
What's nice about this book is the way it helps you to differentiate
between emergency situations and those that can wait until morning.
There is an introductory section which explains how to examine your
dog when he/she is healthy so that you will know when something is
not right.

Morgan, Joe P. DVM and Michele Stephens, DVM. _Radiographic Diagnosis
and Control of Canine Hip Dysplasia_. Iowa State University Press,
1985. ISBN 0-8138-1507-X.
A technical, well written book. From the preface: "written from the
eyes of a diagnostic radiologist and small animal practitioner and
is designed for the veterinary practitioner who deals with owners
and breeders in working to solve the serious problem of dysplasia.
The book is planned to assist in describing the disease to this
group. It is also hoped that the monograph will find its way into
the hands of the lay person who has a love for dogs. All technical
terms are clearly defined and most will be able to profit in their
understanding of this disease by reading this book." Replete with
x-rays. Morgan is a consultant for OFA and has reviewed over 25,000
x-rays for them. The book includes specific descriptions of
dysplasia in GSDs, Labs, Great Pyrenees, and St. Bernard, for the
first time(they say) clearly spelling out the differences between
the breeds.

Miller, Harry. _The Common Sense Book of Puppy and Dog Care_. Bantam

Books, Third Edition (revised) (1987). ISBN: 0-553-27789-8 (paperback).

This small book provides a surprising amount of useful information.
A little on the "lightweight" side, nevertheless, it gives a good
outline of what you should know about your puppy or dog. You can
use this to decide how much you do know and where you need to brush
up on what you don't. Besides sections on how to select the right
dog, it covers basic puppy needs (housetraining, feeding,
illnesses), basic training, basic pet care, and a complete list of

AKC breeds (each breed illustrated with b/w drawing, thumbnail
sketch included -- good as an overview, but not very specific).

Includes a section on practical home care, listing major symptoms
you should be alert for, and listing general criteria by which you
can determine a dog's overall healthiness. Discusses major diseases

and problems, gives sketches on what may be wrong given certain
symptoms. Includes guides to nutrition, grooming, health care.
(Author is Emeritus Director, Gaines Dog Research Center.)

Pitcairn, Richard H., DVM/PhD and Susan Hubble Pitcairn. _ Complete
Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats_. Rodale Press, Pennsylvania.
Cost is about $13.00 - readily available in book/pet/health shops.
This book is full of wonderful information about the physical and
emotional well-being of our pets, well documented, researched, and
invitingly written to get one involved and committed to a complete,
balanced approach to pet care. There is a large portion devoted to
nutrition, first defining the nutritional needs of the pet
(dogs/cats), breakdowns of proteins, carbos, vitamins, minerals,
trace elements, etc. - these by weight and condition of pet (e.g.,
from small nursing puppy to senior citizen with particular needs).
Then they compare commercial products (read the label!) with his
variety of menus, additives of powders & oils (always charted out by
weight - easy to follow); comparison is by nutritional content, cost
factors, and speed of preparation - to be honest, we all look for
convenience. There are also sections on Poisons, Disease, Being
Prepared for the Unexpected, Traveling.

Richardson, Daniel C. "The role of nutrition in canine hip
dysplasia," The Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small
Animal Practice, May 1, 1992.
Discusses studies comparing factors such as c-section vs. natural
birth, free-feeding vs. underfeeding, and motion-restriction vs.
unrestricted mobility in puppies expected to develop CHD.

Riser, Wayne. _Canine Hip Dysplasia and How to Control It_. 1965.
The original experiment showed that puppies raised in 3' x 3' x 3'
cages for the first 90 days showed a drastic reduction in dysplasia
at 24 months when compared with a control group, as evidenced by
radiographs.

The study also showed that puppies raised on slippery floors, or
allowed to run, jump, climb stairs, chase balls, stand on hind legs,
etc. showed a markedly higher incidence of HD at 24 mos.

The moral of the story is: If you have a puppy which is of a breed
that has a high incidence of dysplasia, limit vigorous activity when
young.

(A more complete reference to some of the work done by Riser, Morris
and Fred Lanting is contained in the Howell 'Rottweiler' book.)

Rubin, Lionel F. _Inherited Eye Diseases in Purebred Dogs_.

Turner, Trevor, ed. _Veterinary Notes for Dog Owners_. Popular Dogs.
1991. L17.99 paper, L30.00 hardback.
Similar to the Horse Owners book.

Vanderlip, Sharon Lynn, DVM. _The Collie: A Veterinary Reference for the
Professional Breeder_.

Zink, M. Christine, DVM, PHD. _Peak Performance: Coaching the Canine
Athlete_. Howell Book House, 1992. ISBN: 0-87605-757-1. This
eminently readable book goes over canine physiology, both internal and
structural. She covers how to keep your dog in general good shape,
discusses some conditioning strategies, and finally details a number
of possible impediments to conditioning your dog, including: genetic
and traumatic joint problems and lameness, the effects of medication
on your dog, and moreover lists all the things you need to consider
when trying to keep your dog fit and healthy. Recommended for all
people doing regular physical activity with their dog.

D. Breed Information Books

_The Mini-Atlas of Dog Breeds, Simon & Schusters Guide to Dogs_.
Lists a variety of breeds. It does contain errors; it is an OK
but not great reference book.

_Harper's Illustrated Handbook of Dogs_. Harper and Row, ISBN
0-06-091198-0.
It gives a picture of every AKC dog breed and a one page description
of each breed in the back. The description covers appearance, AKC
standards, potential health problems, needs, history, temperament.

Alderton, David. _Eyewitness Handbook of Dogs_. Dorling Kindersly
232 Madison Ave. NY 10016. ISBN 1-56458-176-4.
Thumbnail sketches of many breeds. Photographs include both puppy
and adult representives of the breed.

De Prisco, Andrew and James B. Johnson. _The Mini-Atlas of Dog
Breeds_. TFH Publications, One TFH Plaza, Neptune City, NJ 07753
(1990). ISBN:0-86622-091-7 (hardback).

This book lists and describes over 500 breeds from around the world.
Abundantly illustrated with color drawings and photos. Includes a
short forward on what criteria you should consider in choosing a
breed, and a short description of the categories it chose to group
dogs in (slightly different from, eg. AKC groupings).

Gannon, Dee. _The Rare Breed Handbook_. 2nd edition. Order
from JB Wholesale.
Describes 80 rare breeds. Loose leaf format.

Hart, Lynette A. _The Perfect Puppy_. WH Freeman. 1987. ISBN
0-7167-1829-4.
This covers only about 65 breeds' temperaments, but makes a
greater effort to be objective than some other sources. Lists
health defects in particular breeds.

Lowell, Michele. _Your Purebred Puppy: A Buyer's Guide_. Holt and
Co. 1991. ISBN 0-8050-1892-1.
Far more comprehensive than Hart's book, with useful warnings
about health defects to watch for in specific breeds.

Mandeville, John J., and Ab Sidewater, eds. _The Complete Dog Book:
official publication of the American Kennel Club_. Eighteenth

edition. Howell Book House, Macmillan Publishing Company, New York.
1992.
This is the reference for the AKC breed standards, each of which
covers several pages and includes a black and white photograph and

text on the breed's history, characteristics, and nature. The
health section is not illustrated, but is otherwise excellent as it
was prepared with the cooperation of the faculty of the School of
Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Newly
admitted breeds, such as the Shar-pei, have been added to this edition.

Sylvester, Patricia, ed. _The Reader's Digest Illustrated Book of Dogs_.

Revised edition. The Reader's Digest Association, Inc.,
Pleasantville, NY. 1989. ISBN 0-89577-340-6. 384 pages.
Besides the excellent text and illustrations in the album, which
cover 2 pages for each breed (175 total), the informative sections
are also well-written and illustrated and include many color

photographs as well. This is a good general reference on dogs, and
is especially helpful when choosing a breed to own. The health
chapters are invaluable to non-veterinarian owners.

Taylor, David. _The Ultimate Dog Book_. 1992.
This is another breed book. Largely coffee-table material,
its distinguishing feature is the outstanding quality of photography.
Each breed featured has a two page spread, with photos of the dog
that include: full side view, side of head, front of head, and
variations within that breed (eg, coloring, though surprisingly
the Labrador Retriever entry only shows a black Labrador). This
is worth getting for the picture quality alone, but not necessarily
as an extensive breed guide in its own right.

Tortora, Daniel F. _The Right Dog For You_. Fireside, Simon &

Schuster Trade Books. 1983. ISBN 0-671-47247-X.
Offers a complex decision procedure, with lots of questionnaires
to alert you to the potential significance of various features of

breed behavior and physical characteristics. This is one of the few
books that will discuss, candidly, negative aspects of a particular
breed.

Wilcox, Bonnie and Chriss Walkowicz. _Atlas of Dog Breeds_. TFH

Publications.
Over 900 pages long in large format. The authors are top notch
writers and did extensive research to compile this comprehensive
resource of the world's dog breeds. The book is profusely
illustrated with excellent quality photographs and a 3-5 page
article. This book makes a good effort to show every color and
every coat type of each breed in the various photos. Expensive.

E. Canine Behavior

Fox, M. W., and J. W. Spencer. 1967. Development of the delayed
response in the dog. Anim. Behav. 15:162-68.

Fuller, J. L., C. A. Easler, and E. M. Banks. 1950. Formation of
conditioned avoidance responses in young puppies. Am. J. Physiol.
160:462-66.

Houpt, Katherine A., VMD, PhD and Thomas R. Wolski DVM. Domestic
Animal Behavior for Veterinarians and Animal Scientists, 1982, pp.
235-238. Discusses studies on breed differences in learning ability
or, at least, in acquisition and performance of various tasks.
Contains references to similar studies.

Lynch, J. J., and J. F. McCarthy. 1967. The effect of petting on a
classically conditioned emotional response. Behaav. Res. Ther.
5:55-62.

Shewell, P.C and J.D. Nancarrow. Dogs that bite. British Medical
Journal, 1991. 6816:1512-13.
The article contains statistics of cases treated at West Midland
Regional Plastic and Jaw Surgery Unit, Wordsley Hospital, during the
period 1982-1989. The review of the article indicates that the most
common situation that causes dogs to bite is a child coming to visit
a family with dogs where the child immediately approaching the dog
and hugging it. It is also worth noting that Dobermans and
Rottweilers only caused 7% of all cases.

Stanley, W. C., J. E. Barrett, and W. E. Bacon. 1974. Conditioning
and extinction of avoidance and escape behavior in neonatal dogs. J.
Comp. Physiol. Psychol. 87:163-72.

Vogel, H. H., Jr., J. P. Scott, and M.-'V. Marston. 1950. Social
facilitation and allelomimetic behavior in dogs. I. Social
facilitation in a non-competitive situation. Behaviour 2:121-34.

Woodbury, C. B. 1943. The learning of stimulus patterns by dogs. J.
Comp. Psychol. 35:29-40.

Coon, K. 1977. The Dog Intelligence Test. New York: Avon, 90 p.

Fogle, Bruce. _The Dog's Mind_.
This appears to be the best, most comprehensive book summarizing
current research on canine psychology and behavior. You won't find
much in the way of how-to instructions, but you will find alot of
hard facts on every aspect of the canine mind and personality.
This book is well-written and very readable even by the layperson.

Honore, Erika K., and Peter H. Klopfer. _A Concise Survey of Animal
Behavior_. Academic Press, 465 S. Lincoln Dr., Troy MO 63379. c1990.
An in depth academic approach to helping people understand and
appreciate animal behavior, including dogs.

F. Dogs and the Law

Jordan, Cora. _Neighbor Law: Trees, Fences, Boundaries, and Noise_.
Nolo Press. ISBN: 0-87337-158-5.
Dog problems can stem from, be exacerbated by, or lead to
more-general feuds with the neighbors. This book makes a
good companion volume to Randolph's _Dog Law_.

Randolph, Mary. _Dog Law_. Nolo Press, 950 Parker St., Berkeley CA
94710 (800)992-6656. ISBN 0-87337-078-3. $12.95.
Author is an attorney. "... _Dog Law_ answers common questions on
such topics as biting, barking, veterinarians, leash laws, travel,
landlords, wills, guide dogs, pit bulls, cruelty and much more."

Strand, Rod and Patti. _Hijacking the Humane Movement_. Doral
Publishing, 1993 ISBN 0-944875-28-9

This is a book which assembles in one place a number of topics which will
be of very great interest to dog and cat breeders, especially in light of
HSUS's suggested moratorium on breeding.

The Strands, AKC Judges and journalists, have placed the animal
rights movement in historical and philosophical perspective. This
174 page paper back covers such topics as AR in the UK, AR in Nazi
Germany, the importation of violent activism from the UK to the US
and a long list of suspect AR organizations.

There is no index, which the authors tell me was due to restrictions
on the publisher. However, there are references on a
chapter-by-chapter basis, at the end of the book. The Appendices
include the AR Platform [as proposed] as printed in 1987 in "Animal
Agenda." This includes this prophetic statement, "We strongly
discourage any breeding of companion animals, including pedigreed or
purebred dogs and cats."

The tone of the book is thoughtful, rather than strident, though it
exposes numerous examples of AR duplicity. Everyone who cares about
dogs should read this book, breeder or not.

G. Dog Stories

*_Chelsea, the Story of a Signal Dog_.
This is written by a man who is a professor at Fresno State Univ. in
CA. It's the utterly charming story of his own attempts to adopt
and train a dog to be his signal dog (he is deaf) and then, years
later, he goes on to get a CCI dog. This book does a great job of
helping you understand how the deaf community functions in a hearing
world, and how they perceive themselves.

Cohen, Barbara and Louise Taylor. _Dogs and their Women_. 1989, ISBN
0316-15036-3.
Lots of good stories.

Goode, Angela and Mike Hayes, eds. _Great Working Dog Stories_ and
_More Great Working Dog Stories_. ABC Books, GPO Box 9994 Sydney, New
South Wales, Australia 2001. 1990.
These are a collection of working dog stories from Outback
Australia. Any one who loves these dogs or just loves a good dog
story should read them. The stories are a mixture of happy and sad,
all of them are true and written by the individual relating the
story. The length of each story ranges from a few lines to a couple
of pages.

Hearne, Vicki. _Bandit, the Dossier of a Dangerous Dog_.
Along with much philosophy, the author recounts her experiences
with pit-bulls and other "dangerous" breeds.

Kilbourn, Cheryl A. _For the Love of Princess: Surviving the Loss of
Your Pet_. Princess Publishing, PO Box 386, Beaverton OR 97075-0386,
1987. ISBN: 0-943367-00-X.
From back: "For the Love of Princess is a deeply moving portrayal of
the loving bond between the author and her canine companion of nine
years. When Cheryl learned that Princess had an irreversible
disease and their time together was limited, her pain began."

Yates, Elizabeth. _Sound Friendships_. Countryman Press, c1987.
It details the life that is led by Willa and her hearing dog, Honey.
It isn't as in-depth on the nuts and bolts as CHELSEA is but it is a
good simple read.

H. General Care

Hampton, John K. Jr., PhD, and Suzanne Hampton, PhD. _Senior Years:
Understanding your Dog's Aging Process_. Howell Book House. 1993.
ISBN: 0-87605-734-2.

Monks of New Skete, The. _How To Be Your Dog's Best Friend_. Little,

Brown & Company. 1978. ISBN: 0-316-60491-7 (hardback).
A monastery in upstate New York breeds, raises, and trains German
Shepherd Dogs. On the basis of their considerable experience, they
offer troubleshooting guides, discuss discipline, environmental
restrictions, basic and puppy training, and much more. Extensive
bibliography. The emphasis is on understanding the dog in order to
communicate with it or to solve problem behavior. An excellent,

well written classic.

Taylor, David. _You and Your Dog_. Alfred A. Knopf, New York (1991).
ISBN:0-394-72983-8 (trade paperback).

This useful book is an overall guide to the health and care of dogs.

It includes a basic listing of dog breeks (AKC). This is a good

general purpose book that gives you an idea of what all is involved

in owning and caring for a dog. Taylor gives flow-chart questions
to consider when deciding if symptoms are serious or not. An easily
understandable format. Not as comprehensive as other care books,

but a good start in understanding what you need to look for when
your dog seems off. Includes illustrations of many procedures, such
as teeth cleaning and nail trimming. Informative discussion of
reproductive system, grooming, and dog anatomy.

I. Herding

Holmes, John. _The Farmer's Dog_. Order from SHEEP!

Jones, H. Glyn. _A Way of Life_. Order from SHEEP!
H. Glyn Jones talks to Barbara C. Collins.

Karrasch, Dick. _Training a Stockdog: For Beginners_. Wondereye
Farm, Rt. 1, Box 42, Vandiver AL 35176.

O'Reilly, Chuck. _Training Working Livestock Dogs_. Rt. 4, Box 33B,
Red Wind MN 55066.

Robertson, Pope. _Anybody Can Do It_. Rovar Publ. Co., 522 East 2nd
St., Elgin TX 78621.

Templeton, John and Matt Mundell. _Working Sheep Dogs_. Order from
SHEEP!

J. Miscellaneous

Alston, George G. _The Winning Edge, Show Ring Secrets_.
Howell Book House, 1992. ISBN 0-87605-834-9.
Alston is an experienced and knowledgeable professional handler and
the book is full of great tips. Nice philosophies about dogs and
dog shows. The book is well-written and very readable.

Montgomery, Anne and Kendall Crolius. _Knitting With Dog Hair_
St. Martin's Press.
This is a new book about how to make use of your dog's extra hair
for knitting. The final product is *INCREDIBLE*. This looks as if
it has been made of the finest fur, which it has, in a way. This
includes tips like: How to make an afghan from your Afghan or a
beret from your Beagle: your pet can yield yarn! How to find
experienced pet hair spinners, a guide to resources and suppliers.
How to collect, clean, and store your pooch's fur

LaBelle, Charlene G. _A Guide to Backpacking with Your Dog_.
Alpine Publications, Inc. P.O. Box 7027 Loveland, CO 80537.

Riley, Alan. _Teaching Your Dog Backpacking_. Available from Black
Ice (see resources).

White, Darlene, DVM. "Eliminating the Threats of Zoonoses," in
Dog World, April 1992 (v77n4); a Maclean Hunter Publication,
29 N. Wacker Dr., Chicago IL 60606-3298.

Hutt, FB: Genetics for Dog Breeders; W. H. Freeman and Co., San
Francisco, CA, 1979.

Lopez, Barry H. _Of Wolves and Men_. Charles Scribner's Sons, 1978.
308 pgs Softcover. ISBN: 0-684-16322-5.
Description of wolves and their relationship with humans. Not

really a technical discussion of wolves like the _The Wolf_ (Mech).

Lorenz, Konrad. _Man Meets Dog_. 1977.

Mech, L. David. _The Wolf_. University of Minnesota Press, 1970.
384 pgs Softcover. ISBN: 0-1866-1026-6.
Complete description of the wolf, its behavior and ecology.

David Mech is a renowned wolf expert, and this is an extremly
informative and well written book.

Migliorini, Mario. _Kennel Building and Management_. New York, N.Y. :

Howell Book House, 1987.
Contains a bibliography. Useful tips on how to construct a dog run.

Milani, Myrna M., DVM. _The Invisible Leash_.

Mugford, Roger. _Dr. Mugford's Casebook_.
Case studies.

Neville, Peter. _Do Dogs Need Shrinks?_.
Case studies.

Nicholas, FW. _Veterinary Genetics_. Oxford University Press, New
York, NY, 1987.

Pfaffenberger, Clarence J. _The New Knowledge Of Dog Behavior_.
Foreword by J. P. Scott. Consultant on genetics: Benson E. Ginsburg.
New York, Howell Book House, c1963.
Mr Pfaffenberger wrote this book based on his own experiences
working with the breeding program at Guide Dogs for the Blind and
the research of Dr. J. Paul Scott of the Animal Behavior Division at
Roscoe B. Jackson Memorial Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine. As a
measure of the success of the work at Guide Dogs for the Blind, in
the late 1940's, only nine percent of the dogs that started training
could become responsible guides. In 1958 and 1959, all the dogs
bred and developed according to the knowledge gained by
Pfaffenbarger were as good or better than the dogs of 1946 and 90%
became guide dogs despite stricter requirements from the 1946
standard.

Scott, J. P., and J. L. Fuller. 1974. Dog Behavior. The Genetic
Basis. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 468 p.

Serpell, James. _In the Company of Animals_. Basil Blackwell, Oxford.
1986. ISBN: 0-631-14536-2.
Book on pet keeping through time and across cultures.

Shook, Larry. _The Puppy Report_. Lyons and Burford, Pubs., New
York. 1992. ISBN: 1-55821-140-3.
Larry Shook is a newspaper reporter who, despite working with an
allegedly reputable breeder, ended up with a purebred dog with a
very serious temperament problem - a problem that the breeder had
compelling reason to know about in advance. So Shook put his
professional skills to work and has written a helpful, brief book
about the dangers of 'inbreeding' and about how to avoid breeders
who'll knowingly sell dogs that are very likely to have serious
physical or psychological problems. Not surprisingly, he comes down
very hard on puppy mills and stores that sell live animals.
Surprising/shocking is some of the information he relays about the
AKC and certain common breeding practices which are, in effect,
encouraged by AKC policies.

Tellington-Jones, Linda, with Sybil Taylor. _The Tellington Touch:
A Breakthrough Technique to Train and Care for Your Favorite Animal_.
Viking Penguin. 1992. ISBN 0-670-82578-6.
Some of what Linda does is clearly helpful in dealing with problem
dogs and cats, but there are parts of her presentation of her ideas
that may turn people off because they seem to be a little too
far out of the mainstream. Good massage tips.

Willis, Bruce. _Genetics of Dogs_.

Zimen, Eric. Eric Mosbacher, trans. _The Wolf: His Place in the
Natural World_. (UK title).
Book on wolf behavior.

K. Obedience Training

Baer, Ted. _Communicating with Your Dog_. Barron's, New York. 1989.
ISBN 0-8120-4203-4 (oversized paperback).
Heavily illustrated with color photos. A sensible approach to
laying a good foundation for extensive obedience training (even if
you don't take the dog any further than what's outlined in here).
Simple instructions for teaching a 20-word language, with emphasis
on understanding and building on previous work.

Barwig, Susan. _Schutzhund_. Quality Press, Englewood, CO. 1978.

Bauman, Diane L. _Beyond Basic Dog Training_. New, updated edition.
Howell Book House (Maxwell Maxmillan International), New York. 1991.
ISBN: 0-87605-410-6.
Emphasis is on training a "thinking" dog rather than a
pattern-trained dog. Extensive manual on obedience training.
Communication and understanding are discussed. A well known and
often recommended book.

Benjamin, Carol and Capt. Haggerty. _Dog Tricks_.
This book has more tricks in it than you will even dream of teaching
your dog with suggestions for the method. In the back they have a
listing by breed of tricks that are especially suitable or unsuitable
for that breed.

Burnham, Patricia Gail. _Playtraining Your Dog_. St. Martin's Press,
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010. c1980. ISBN 0-312-61691-0
(trade paperback).
An excellent book that describes how to use play to motivate your
dog through obedience training. She focuses on how to teach each
exercise in the AKC Novice, Open, and Utility classes. Her
philosophy, though, lends itself to any type of training. Well
written and informative. For you greyhound lovers, all her dogs and
inside photos are of greyhounds.

Colflesh, Linda. _Making Friends: Training your Dog Positively_
Illustrated by Deb Mickey ISBN 0-87605-687-7 Howell Book House,
copyright 1990.
A readable book that applies to all aspects of everyday training and
building a good relationship with your dog. Her method maximizes
using your dog's intelligence and your good relationship with your
pet and minimizes the use of force. It takes things all the way
from housebreaking the new dog through the basic obedience exercises
and includes chapters on aggression and moving on to off-leas work
with your dog.

Fisher, John. _Dogwise_.
The author is a well known UK behaviourist and ex-service dog
trainer. _Dogwise_ follows the selection of a eight month rescue GSD
and his Police Dog handler through a 12 week course using only
positive reinforcement and the final exaimination qualifying the dog
to work with the London Met to the HMSO. The focus is on the training
methods more than on police work.

Handler, Barbara. _Positively Obedient_
This follows _How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With_ very nicely.
This is a book a novice owner can read, follow and succeed in getting
results.

Handler, Barbara. _Best Foot Forward_.
A guide to showing and handling in the obedience rings. It covers
how to enter shows, what to do on the day, and how not to make handling
errors.

Handler, Barbara. _Successful Obedience Handling:
The NEW Best Foot Forward_. Alpine publications.

Hearne, Vicki. _Adam's Task_. Knopf. 1986.
Described as the best single reference on Koehler.

Koehler, William. _The Koehler Method of Dog Training_. Howell Books.
Koehler's methods are considered unusually harsh and counterproductive
by some modern trainers. On the other hand, his methods do have a
history of success, especially with breeds considered less trainable.

Olson, Bjorn. _Training Your Dog Step by Step_.

Rogerson, John. _Your Dog, its Development, Behaviour and Training_.
Also, _Training Your Dog_.

Strickland, Winifred G. _Expert Obedience Training for Dogs_. Third
revised edition. Howell Book House (Macmillan Publishing Company),
New York. 1987. ISBN: 0-02-615000-X (hardback).
Strickland is a well known dog trainer. Covers all aspects of
training and competition including the formal training for AKC
obedience trials (novice, open, utility, tracking). Includes some
general care (health and feeding) tips. Author has also written
_Obedience Class Instruction for Dogs_.

Tucker, Michael. _Dog Training Step by Step_.
Tucker is an ex GDB instructor and his books are easy to read and
follow. His others are _Dog Training Made Easy_, _Solving Your Dog
Problems_.

Volard. _Training Your Dog Step by Step_.

Weston, David. _Dog Training: The Gentle Method_.

L. Puppies.

Benjamin, Carol Lea. _Mother Knows Best: The Natural Way To Train
Your Dog_. Howell Book House, New York. 1985. ISBN 0-87605-666-4.
$15.95 hardcover.
"No matter how the pup transgresses, no matter how angry the bitch
becomes, she never denies him his nourishment. He never goes to bed
without his supper. Nor does she offer tidbits of food, treats
beneath the table, extra portions of dessert to reward good
behavior. Eating is eating and education is education."

She uses praise, contact, play and toys to motivate puppies, but she
does not recommend food training a young puppy. She does recommend
crate training and she also recommends sleeping in the same room
with the puppy. She provides methods to teach no, OK, good dog, bad
dog, sit stay heel, come, down, stand, go, enough, over, out,
cookie, speak, take it, wait and off to puppies. She talks about
canine language and talks some about mental games you can play with
your dog such as mirror games, and copying your dog and having him
copy you, chase games and even playing rough with your puppy.

Most training methods rely on the foundational relationship between

an owner and his dog, and this book profides some ideas on

establishing that relationship while the puppy is still young.

Brahms, Ann and Paul. _Puppy Ed._. Ballantine Books. 1981.

ISBN:0-345-33512-0 (paperback).
Describes how to start teaching your puppy commands. This is a
thoughtful book that discusses in practical detail what you can and
cannot expect to do with your puppy in training it. They stress
that by expecting and improving good behavior from the start, later,
more formal training goes much easier.

Dunbar, Ian, DVM. _How to Teach a New Dog Old Tricks_ (Manual for the
Sirius PUppy Training Program). James and Kenneth Pubs., Oakland. 1991.

Kovary, Robin. _12 Step Problem Prevention Program for Puppies_.
Self-published, New York. 1990.

Monks of New Skete, The. _The Art of Raising a Puppy_. Little, Brown

and Company (1991). ISBN: 0-316-57839-8 (hardback).
The monks of New Skete have put together an excellent book that
discusses puppy development and the things that should be done at
the appropriate stages and why. First they follow a newborn litter
through its various stages of development and at each stage they
discuss what is happening. They discuss testing puppies'
temperaments and what you want to look for, under which
circumstances. They discuss briefly dog breeds, and how to find
reputable breeders. They then launch into a series of useful
chapters: housebreaking, preliminary obedience, laying the
foundations of training, understanding (reading) your dog, how to
become the pack leader, basic training, discipline, and general
care. A good bibliography is provided at the back.

Randolph, Elizabeth. _How to Help Your Puppy Grow Up to be a Wonderful
Dog_. ISBN 0-449-21503-2.

Rutherford, Clarice, and David H. Neil, MRCVS. _How to Raise a Puppy
You Can Live With_. Alpine Publications, Loveland, CO, 1981. ISBN
0-931866-09-X. 126 pages.
The authors demonstrate their deep understanding of young dogs, and
their clear guidance is sure to help owners build a strong bond with
their new companion. For a new owner this book demonstrates basic
obedience training, covers the first year developmental stages, and
presents simple practical advice for dealing with behavior problems

Schwartz, Charlotte. _The Howell Book of Puppy Raising_. 1st ed.
Howell Book House. c1978. ISBN 0-87605-770-9.
Full of all kinds of useful information. Tips on housetraining,
use of crates, how to feed, ways to train them, etc.

M. Research Articles on Canine Health

Dr. Jasper Rine, UC Berkeley Prof. of Genetics & Director of the
*Human* Genome Center at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory is currently
working on producing a "detailed map of the dog genome -- the entire
complement of canine genes." (CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION Vol
XXXIX, Nr 23; February 10, 1993 p.6)

"The results should allow Mr. Rine and his colleagues to pinpoint
the genes responsible for many of the behavioral and morphological
traits in dogs--from the strong need of Newfoundlands to swim and
rescue drowning people to their webbed feet, dark coat, and large
body size.

"And they should give veterinarians and dog breeders a better idea
of how to minimize the transmission of detrimental genetic
disorders that afflict canines, such as retinal atrophy, hip
dysplasia, and cancer."

He expects to complete the mapping of the canine genome within 3 years.

_Nutrient Requirements of Dogs, Revised 1985_ [there may be a newer revision]
Published by the National Academcy Press, 2101 Constitution Ave. NW,
Washington, DC 20418

This is written by the Subcommittee on Dog Nutrition, Committee on
Animal Nutrition, Board on Agriculture, National Research Council.
It reads pretty well for something put out by a committee. Lots of
references. Lots of tables of nutrient contents of various
foodstuffs. Don't expect any discussions of what dog food is best!
For the most part, consumers are left to figure this out for
themselves.

Allen, Moira Anderson. "Cancer: An Overview -- Canine Cancers and
Treatment Methods." Pure-Bred Dogs, American Kennel Gazette.
107(6):84. June 1, 1990.

Angel, C., O. D. Murphree, and D. C. De Lucia. 1974. The effects of
chlordiazepoxide, amphetamine and cocaine on bar-press behavior in
normal and genetically nervous dogs. Res. Nerv. Syst. 35:220-23.

Bardens, JW. Palpation for the detection of dysplasia and wedge
technique for pelvic radiography; Proc AAHA; pp 468-471, 1972.

Cardinet, GH, III, Guffy, MM, et al. Canine hip dysplasia in German
Shepherd Dog - Greyhound crossbreeds; J Am Vet Med Assoc; 164:
591-598, 1983.

Corley, EA, Hogan, PM. Trends in hip dysplasia control: Analysis of
Radiographs submitted to the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals,
1974 to 1984; J Am Vet Med Assoc 187: 805-809, 1985.

Corley, EA, GG Keller. Hip Dysplasia A Guide for Dog Breeders and
Owners, 2nd Ed., Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, Columbia, MO,
1989.

Dixon, RT. The effect of limb positioning on the radiographic
diagnosis of canine hip dysplasia; Vet Rec 91: 644-646, 1972.

Fox, SM, Burns, J, Burt, J. Symposium on Hip Dysplasia; Vet Med:
pp 683-716, July, 1987.

Gaebelein, C. J., R. A. Galosy, L. Botticelli, J. L. Howard, and P. A.
Obrist. 1977. Blood pressure and cardiac changes during signalled and
unsignalled avoidance in dogs. Physiol. Behav. 19:69-74.

Hart BL. "Effects of neutering and spaying on the behavior of dogs and
cats: Questions and answers about practical concerns," in JAVMA
1991;198:1204-1205.

Houpt KA, Coren B, Hintz et al. "Effects of sex and reproductive
status on sucrose preference, food intake, and body weight of dogs,"
in JAVMA 1979; 174:1083-1085.

Henry, JD, Jr, Park, RD. Wedge technique for demonstration of
coxofemoral joint laxity in the canine: Proc. Canine Hip Dysplasia
Symposium and Workshop; OFA, Columbia, MO; pp 117-126, 1972.

Heshammer, A, Olsson, S-E, et al. Study of heritablility in 401
litters of German Shepherd Dogs; J. AM Vet Med Assoc 174:
1012-1016, 1979. [Hip dysplasia.]

Hutt, FB. Genetic selection to reduce the incidence of hip
dysplasia in dogs; J Am Vet Med Assoc; 151: 1041-1048, 1967.

Johnson SD. "Questions and answers on the effects of surgically
neutering dogs and cats," in JAVMA 1991;198:1206-1213.

Kasstrom, H. Nutrition, weight gain, and development of hip
dysplasia: An experimental investigation in growing dogs with
special reference to the effect of feeding intensity; Acta Radiol
Suppl 344: 135-179, 1975.

LeRoux PH. Thyroid status, oestradiol level, work performance and
body mass of ovariectomised bitches and bitches bearing ovarian

autotransplants in the stomach wall. J S Afr Vet Assoc
1977;48:115-117.

Mackenzie, SA. Canine hip dysplasia: Why heritability estimates
differ; Canine Pract 12: 19-22, 1985.

Marrion, Ruth, DMV. "New Views on Neutering," in _Purebred
Dogs/American Kennel Gazette_, April 1992 (pp50-54).

Nicholas, FW. "Hip Dysplasia: Perspectives of the Eighties" in
_Seminars in Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (Small Animals)_. Grune &
Stratton, Inc., Orlando, FL, Vol II, No. 2, May 1987.

Owen, Larry. "Identifying and treating Cancer in Geriatric Dogs."
Veterinary Medicine. 86(1):55 (January 1 1991).

Rendano, VT, Ryan G. Canine hip dysplasia evaluation; J Vet Radiol,
26:170-186, 1985.

Salmeri KR, Bloomberg MS, Scruggs SL, Shille V. Gonadectomy in
immature dogs: Effects on skeletal, physical, and behavioral

development. JAVMA 1991;198:1193-1203.

Salmeri KR, Olson PN, Bloomberg MS. Elective gonadectomy in dogs: A

review. JAVMA 1991;198:1183-1191.

Sonnenschein, Elizabeth G., Larwence T. Glickman, and Michael H.
Goldschmidt. Body Conformation, Diet, and Risk of Breast Cancer in
Pet DOgs: A Case-Control Study. American Journal of Epidemiology.
133(7):694 (April 1, 1991).

Thrusfield MV. Association between urinary incontinence and spaying

bitches. Vet Rec. 1985;116:695.

N. Search and Rescue

American Rescue Dog Association. _Search and Rescue Dogs_. Howell
Book House, 1991. ISBN 0-87605-733-4.
ARDA outlines their philosophy and methods for SAR. This book is
excellent for an understanding of the depths of committment and work
to be a SAR volunteer. It is a compilation of notes made over a
thirty year period; consequently some of the information is out of
date. There are two main deficiencies in this book. The first is a
bias toward the German Shepherd Dog, such that they actually refuse
to use any other breed; the second is a seemingly cavalier disregard
for the consequences of deliberately searching for cadavers with SAR
dogs, when such dogs should always search for live scent
(particularly for disaster work).

Bryson, Sandy. _Search Dog Training_. Third printing. Boxwood
Press, 183 Ocean View Blvd., Pacific Grove, CA 93950. 1991 (c 1984).
ISBN: 0-910286-94-9.
A well organized, comprehensive discussion of search dog training.
Includes practical tips, discussion of search and rescue and the law
and many other topics.

Tolhurst, William D. with Lena F. Reed. _Manhunters! Hounds of the
Big T_. Hound Dog Press, 10705 Woodland Avenue, Puyallup, WA 98373.
1984. ISBN: 0-9617723-0-1 (hardback).
Tolhurst is a Search and Rescue volunteer in upstate New York. This
book recounts his experiences using bloodhounds in trailing. Many
fascinating stories. Tolhurst includes a section on training a dog
to locate dead bodies.

O. Service Dogs

*_Therapy Dog_.
Therapy dog training. A good psychology book with gentle training
methods.

Harrington, Paula. _Looking ahead: Guide Dogs for the Blind_. 1st ed.
San Rafael, CA: Guide Dogs for the Blind, c1990.
This one is sort of a "coffee table" book; lots of nice color
photographs, and it covers the history of Guide Dogs, the training
(both for the dog and the blind person), the 4-H puppy raisers, and
lots of other stuff.

Pfaffenberger, Clarence J., et al., with the editorial assistance of
Sarah F. Scott. _Guide Dogs for the Blind, Their Selection,
Development, and Training_. Amsterdam; New York: Elsevier Scientific
Pub. Co.; distributors for the U.S. and Canada, Elsevier/North
Holland, 1976.
Many specific details on the genetics, training, 4-H project
coordination, and so forth.

P. Sled Dogs

Collins, Miki and Julie. _Dog Driver, A Guide for the Serious Musher_.
Alpine Publishing, 1991. 385 pgs hardcover. ISBN: 0-931866-48-0.
A complete reference covering all aspects of working and living with
sled dogs. From housing to health, nutrition, equipment, breeding,
training, and much more. Sprint racing, long distance racing,
weight pulling, camping, and so forth are also covered. Excellent
book for learning about sledding and sled dogs. Best if used in
association with one of the other novice books mentioned for
beginning mushers.

Flanders, Noel. _The Joy of Running Sled Dogs_. Alpine Publishing
1989. 107 pgs softcover. ISBN: 0-931866-39-1.
This is a brief, beginners level, introduction to living and
working with sled dogs. A good compact reference.

Fishback, Lee and Mel. _Novice Sled Dog Training_. 13th printing,
Raymond Thompson Company, 1989. 37 pgs softcover.
This is a very brief guide for the begining dog driver. Covers
equipment, basic obedience, lead dog training, handling problem
dogs, and sled dog racing.

Kaynor, Carol and Mari Hoe-Raitto. _Skijoring: An Introduction to the
Sport_.

Levorsen, Bella, ed. _MUSH! A beginer's Manual of Sled Dog Training_,
edited for the Sierra Nevada Dog Drivers Inc. Arner Publications, 1976.
250pgs hardcover. ISBN: 0-91424-06-4.
A beginners guide to sled dogs and mushing. This is a very good
begining book to learn about equipment and training, as well as sled
dog health issues. Excellent novice mushing book.

Welch, Jim. _The Speed Mushing Manual_. Sirius Publishing, 1989.
ISBN: 0-96236-43-0-4.
This is a book about serious sprint sled dog racing, the how to's.
Not a novice book.

Q. Tracking or Trailing: Scenting

The Tracking Club of Massachusetts. _Tracking! A Practical Guide for
TD and TDX_. 438 Lowell Street, Wakefield, MA 01880. $8 plus shipping
and handling.
An inexpensive booklet on tracking that is put out by The Tracking Club
of Massachusetts. It is a very concise, yet clear introduction to
tracking for all breeds. It was written by the members of the club
some of which have almost 30 years tracking experience.

Button, Lue. _Practical Scent Dog Training_. Alpine Publications,
Inc. 214 19th St. SE, Loveland, CO 80537. 1990. ISBN: 0-931866-47-2.
A step-by-step practical training guide for air scent, evidence
search, disaster search and the AKC tracking test. Starts with
young puppies. Well illustrated and methods extensively tested at
Los Alamos' Mountain Canine Corps.

Davis, L. Wilson. _Go Find! Training Your Dog to Track_. Ninth
printing, 1984. Howell Book House, Inc., New York. c1974.
ISBN: 0-87605-550-1 (hardback).
Blurb: "Major L. Wilson Davis is America's recognized authority on
Tracking -- named in September 1973 to the Obedience Advisory
Committee of the AKC as its official consultant on Tracking and
scent training for dogs. This official status follows upon decades
of recognized achievemnent in these phases of Obedience training.
Following distinguished service with the K-9 Corps during WWII, he
has been active in the Governmnent's program of using trained
tracking dogs for the recovery of detonated missile parts in missile
experimentation. Major Davis was an AKC licenced judge for all
classes of Obedience. He is presently training director of the
famous Oriole Dog Training Club of Baltimore. He organized and
headed the Baltimor City K-9 Corps, one of the finest in the
country, and is often asked to lecture and advise police departments
on the use of tracking dogs in law enforcement. Major Davis is a
recipient of the Quaker Oats Distinguished Service Award for his
dedicated contributions to dog training."

Johnson, Glen. _Training the Tracking Dog_.

Johnson, Glen. _Tracking Dog: Theory and Methods_. Arner
Publications Inc., Clark Mills NY. c1975. ISBN: 0-914124-04-8.
From blurb: "The author became fascinated with the tracking tests
held at widely spaced intervals during the years where he could not
get over the trouble trainers were having training their own dogs
for this highly regarded title. He embarked upon a course of
research, experimentation and documentation that enabled him to
formulate his own training program that has resulted in 100% OF ALL
DOGS COMPLETING THE PROGRAM EARNING A TRACKING TITLE. Old wives
tales went out the window and theories became irrelevant as the
program was based solely on "observable behavior" of those dogs that
were already trained to track. The results of these experiments and
the program itself are detailed in "Tracking Dog - theory and
methods".

From this program, the youngest dog ever to acquire its TDX title in
Canada earned his title at 13 months of age. Before this time there
was never more than 1 dog with a TDX title alive anywhere else and
one student has two TDX dogs and a third with a Canadian and
American TD.

Pearsall, Milo D. and Hugo Verbruggen, MD. _Scent: Training to Track,
Search, and Rescue_. Alpine Publications, Inc., Colorado. 1982.
ISBN: 0-931-866-11-1.
Blurb: "The authors first look at the scientific qualities of scent
-- what and how dogs smell and how environmental factors affect the
track. Then they use this background as a basis for training.
Topics include the science of scent, kindergarten puppy tracking,
tracking equipment, tracking tests, training to search, search and
track, search and find, search and rescue, trail companion, scent
and the law enforcement agency, first aid on the trail and much more."

Syrotuck, Bill. _Scent and the Scenting Dog_. Arner Publications, c1972.
Early work on understanding scent.

R. Training Hunting Dogs

Free, James Lamb. _Training Retrievers_.
A classic. It outlines the long-standing training methods for field
dogs. A good book even if some of it is outdated. An excellent
description of training a dog to handle.

Rafe, Stephen. _Training Your Dog for Birdwork_.

Spencer, James B. _Hunting Retrievers: Hindsights, Foresights and Insights_.
This is general interest, and well-written, but doesn't contain
a lot of training specifics.

Spencer, James B. _Training Retrievers for the Marshes and Meadows_.
Denlinger Publications in Fairfax, VA.
It starts with puppy selection and goes on up to advanced marks and
blinds. It is helpful in providing tips on resolving training
blocks.

Spencer, James B. _Retriever Training Tests_. Prentice Hall Press.
Helps you to set up training situations and teaches you how the
dog should react to things like hills, cover, land-water-land
retrieves, how the wind affects them, etc.

Tarrant, Bill. _Training the Hunting Retriever_. Howell Book House,
Mamillan Publishing Co., 866 Third Ave., New York NY 10022. c1991.

S. Working Dogs (other).

Chapman, Samuel G. _Police Dogs in America_. Bureau of Government
Research, 1979.

Duet, Karen Freeman and George Duet, _The Home and Family Protection
Dog: Selection and Training_. Howell Book House, 1993 ISBN
0-87605-619-2
Anyone who is thinking of getting a dog who's more than a' mobile
alarm' (watchdog) should consult this book.

Tolhurst, Bill. _The Police Textbook for Dog Handlers_. Sharp
Printing, 3477 Lockport Road, Sanborn, NY 14132. 1991. (Paperback,
89 pages.)
This book is only available from the author. $14 plus $2 shipping
and handling. Write to Bill Tolhurst, 383 Willow Street, Lockport,
NY 14094. The most comprehensive training book available. Contains
information not available from any other source. Contains updated
information covered by the original National Police Bloodhound
Training Manual (1977). Plus: how to train a land-cadaver dog, a
water-cadaver dog, an article-search dog, an accelerant (arson) dog.
Information on the Scent Transfer Machine, about radio-controlled
dogs, on crime scene dog development, on the use of a scent sleeve.
Discusses seminars, Bloodhound misconceptions, testifying in court,
commands, puppy profiles (how to select a puppy) and more.

[Janice Ritter]

Archive-name: dogs-faq/rescue/part1
Version: 2.6
Last-modified: Jan, 1995
Current-edition-released: Feb 17, 1995

This is the Breed Rescue Organizations FAQ Part 1 of 2. It is arranged
in alphabetical order by breed from Affenpinscher to Great Pyrenees,
and then Greyhound to Yorkshire Terriers. All-breed and speciality group
rescues are listed at the end of the 2nd file. These FAQs will be
posted on a regular basis and/or you can obtain the file via
anonymous ftp at rtfm.mit.edu under
/pub/usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/rescue/part1. Or send email to
mail-...@rtfm.mit.edu with
send /usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/rescue/part1
send /usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/rescue/part2
in the body of the message leaving the subject line blank.

This is the 9th update of the canine rescue organizations list. Breed
specific organizations are listed first and all-breed and specialty
organizations are at the end. All the lines that are preceeded with
a "||" are the ones containing either new information or important
corrections with respect to version 2.4. All the rec.pets.dogs.info
FAQ's are also mirrored at nowaksg.chem.nd.edu and can be found in the
/pub/dogs-faq directory via anonymous ftp.

Check out rec.pets.dogs.rescue for current discussions on rescue
and for dogs in need of rescue.

THANKS TO THOSE WHO DESERVE IT:
Susan Mudgett and Eric Johansson have been keeping a list of
New England Rescue Organizations for quite some time. They
graciously sent a hard copy of their list so that we could include
all of those addresses and phone numbers in this listing. If you wish
to contact them directly concerning the New England area specifically,
they have listed their phone number in their own CRL (canine rescue list):
508-667-0137. Many thanks to Susan and Eric. (Note that I'm slowly
including most of the contacts from this list in the rescue FAQ.)

Secondly, Marget Johnson sent us so much stuff she had to include
extra postage on the envelope. Most of the information Marget
provided us has been submitted to various dog related journals so
this information may be available in your local library as well.
Many thanks to Marget too.

Thirdly, Colleen Englemann sent a listing of rescue organizations
from the "Bay Area". This means the San Francisco Bay area, so
if you live near there these listings are for you. The text "baylist"
is added by these because many of them are just phone numbers without
the name of the person. This doesn't mean you shouldn't call, we
just don't know what the name of the person you will talk to is.
If you do call and get a name, let me know so I can include it here.

Cindy Tittle Moore (those of you who read r.p.d.* regularly
know her well) has been of great help both at the beginning and the
end of this project. Her expertise in FAQ's for rec.pets.dogs.* is
greatly appreciated.

Dominique Anfossi has provided all the Canadian information so thanks to
him.

This list is for the dogs, literally :-) All of the poor animals that
have been abandoned for whatever reasons. So many of you are caring
people and take these dogs in and care for them until they can find kind
caring homes where they really belong. I hope a few dogs can find
homes through our meager efforts.

DISCLAIMER:
I have no experience with any of these groups. We simply wanted to make
this list available to you. So, we must say that we are not specifically
endorsing any of these people/groups but we are endorsing the idea of
rescuing a dog for a pet.

There is a book published with a thorough listing of breed rescue
organizations available. Here is the citation:

Project BREED
(Breed Rescue Efforts & Education)
Vol. 1, No. 1, copyright 1989
291 pages
Published by: Network for Ani-males & Females, Inc.
Germantown, MD 20874
(301) 428-3675
(additional volumes have been published, too)

If you need more information, a more complete listing, or other
information about rescue, I am told it is all in there.

TAKING AT LEAST A LITTLE RESPONSIBILITY :-) :
All complaints and errors should be brought to my immediate attention.
I will have to depend on those in netland to keep me up to date.

If you notice I have left out someone in your favorite breed then
please tell me. If I have included someone that no longer serves in
this capacity tell me so I can delete them from the list. Otherwise
keep this packed away in your files somewhere and pull it out when
someone asks you about getting a new dog. Rescues can be such good
pets for many people, so don't automatically assume everyone needs
a puppy. (You may find the best puppy here as well!)

Who should be listed in this FAQ:
--------------------------------
Only those people and groups who are directly involved in *rescue*
activities should be listed here. Breeders, please don't list yourselves
as rescue contacts in the Rescue FAQs as a way to find potential
adoptees for your returned and/or adult dogs from your breedings.
You have the resources to network and find good homes for your dogs.
These FAQs are for groups and individuals who help those dogs that
need *rescueing*.

If I receive 3 complaints about a group not responding in a timely
fashion, or not treating a dog well, etc., I'll warn the group that
there seem to be problems and I'll get the other side of the story. If
I subsequently receive 2-3 more complaints, I'll remove the
group/person from the list. (Sorry it comes to this sometimes.)

Sincerely,
Janice Ritter
rit...@ileaf.com
Ph: 617-290-0710 (days, during the week)
___________________________________________________________________
Rescue FAQ File 1 includes: Affenpinscher to Great Pyrenees.
(All-breed or specialty group/area rescues are listed at the end of
FAQ file2.)

Affenpinscher
Affenpinscher Club of America
Nancy Holmes
51 Weare Rd.
New Boston, NH 03070
603-487-2156

Afghan Hound

Afghan Hound Club of America, Inc.
Judith S. Fellton, chairperson
219 Johnson Ferry Rd.
Marietta, GA 30068
404-971-1533
notes: Information and guidelines available. Nationwide
coordination. Club will furnish financial assistance for
spay, neuter and health check.

Nutmeg Afghan Hound Club
Adoption, Rescue, Referral and Placment (New England)
Amy Peake (413) 268-9418 Leslie Nelson (203) 875-7526
Lucia Brown (203) 261-8650 Kathy Vrabel (203) 270-0525

Afghan Hound Rescue of New England
413-268-0208

Afghan Hound Rescue of Southern California
Andrea Augustine
8567 Holloway Drive #1
West Hollywood, CA 90069
310-657-8237

Lucy Orlowski
614-369-4080

Afghan Hound Club of Northern New Jersey Rescue
Bob and Nancy Check
RD 2, 999 Walcutt
Basking Ridge, NJ 07920

Delores A. Masker
15 Cedar Street
Lincoln Park, NJ 07035

Afghan Hound Association of Long Island
Pat Marinaccio
43 Chapel Hill Drive, N.
Brentwood, NY 11717
516-231-6457

Afghan Hound Club of Oklahoma City
Shari Mason
122 Richard Terrace
Mustang, OK 73064
405-376-2929

Richmond Afghan Hound Club
Holly Jorgensen
Rt. 1, Box 235D
Bealeton, VA 22712
703-439-2239

Claudia Edgell
617-729-2153 (MA)

Mary & Hihn Mickelson
508-772-0704

Afghan Hound Rescue
Adoption, rescue, referral service and placement
Nancy (908) 658-3786

baylist: 415-924-7020

Airedale Terrier
Airedale Terrier Club of America Rescue Committee
Mrs. Joey Fineran, chairman
215-294-8028 (PA)
June Dutcher, co-chairman
714-827-8013 (CA)
notes: contact either for reference to rescue persons
in all areas
or
(in New England)
Phyllis Beecroft
203-431-6722 (CT)

Airedale Rescue & Adoption Service
Candy Kramlich
914-686-9217 (7:30 - 11p.m. on weekdays or anytime weekends)
or
Karen Stefkovich or Dave Pasake
201-827-7022
This group requires: all family members must want the dog;
no outside only dogs, i.e. must have run of the house;
must have fence, unless you live in an apartment
renters must have landlord permission (an excellent idea!)

Marlene Kotchey
313-485-8098 (MI)

Airedale Terrier Club of Greater Philadelphia
Ben McCarthy
1737 Division Highway
Narvon, PA 17555
717-354-7646
717-656-9391

Airedale Terrier Club of Metropolitan Washington, DC
Lou Swafford
13108 Greenmount Ave.
Beltsville, MD 20705
301-572-7116

Airedale Terrier Club of Metropolitan New York
Linda Handford
Box 441
Wurtsboro, NY 12790
914-888-4944

Airedale Terrier Club of New England
Judi Foote
681 Congress St.
Duxbury, MA 02332
617-837-2454
or
Regina Foley
617-329-9751

California Airedale Terrier Club
Liz Younger
4705 Mayfield Dr.
Fremont, CA 94536
415-795-6870

Southern California Airedale Association
Ruth Millington
7895 Dusty Lane
Somis, CA 93066
805-987-2277

Wisconsin Airedale Terrier Club
Myrtle Huffer
2863 N. Humblodt Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53212
414-562-4299

Airedale Terrier Club of America Rescue & Adoption Committee
Lynne Jensen
1180 Hopewell Road
Downington, PA 19335

Akbash
Akbash Dog International Rescue Service
Deborah Dowling
749 Waasis Rd
Oromocto NB E2V 2N4

|| Akbash Dogs International
|| David Sims
|| R.R.3, Union Road
|| Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
|| C1A 7J7 Canada
|| home - 902-672-3036 work 902-566-0812
|| fax - 902-566-0958
|| e-mail - si...@upei.ca
|| happy to act as an e-mail go-between for Maremma, Great Pyrenees,
Komondorok, Shar Planinetz, Tibetan Mastiff, Anatolian Shepherd
Dogs, Karabash and Kuvasz.

Akita

Akita Club of America
Rescue Chair
Nancy J. Henry
817-241-3300 (TX)

CA Bay Area list: 415-756-5590

Akita Rescue Society of America (ARSA) (note additional
SOCAL(parent chapter, southern Cal.) chapters below)
Mrs. Barbara Bouyet
237 Venus Street
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
805-492-2127

ARSA provides breed information to prospective owners.
Members are available for consultation and evaluation. We take
in homeless Akitas, have them Vet checked, up-to-date on shots,
spayed/neutered and heartworm/fecal checked. Prospective
homes are screened and references are required. Adopters must
sign an Adoption Contract and pay an Adoption Fee.

Akita Rescue Society of America (ARSA) CENTRAL
Mid-West region
Mrs. Myrna Pearce
HCR 1, Box 820
Reeds Spring, MO 65737
417-272-3476

ARSA-MAC South
(Mid-Atlantic region inc. Delaware, MD, and VA)
Mrs. Puller Lanigan
4501 Bennion Rd.
Wheaton, MD 20906
301-946-3779
or
703-524-9163

ARSA-MAC North
Mid-Atlantic North (NY Metro Area, central NJ)
Nancy Baun
39 Frederick Avenue
Hawthorne, NJ 07506
201-427-5985 (preferably after 7pm)

ARSA-FLORIDA
Mrs. Dori Sparkman
1530 Parkwood Street
Jacksonville, FL 32207
904-399-8942

Delaware Valley Akita Rescue
Kathy DeWees
609-859-3125

Judy Furlong
419-474-7006 (OH)

Greater Baltimore Akita Club
Barbara Davis
908 Rolandvue Rd.
Ruxton, MD 21204
301-823-6939

Newton Kennel Club (Akitas)
Tom and Beverly Bonadonna
RD 3, Box 1
Branchville, NJ 07826
201-948-4551

Vivien Miller
203-447-0720
Connecticut

Akita Rescue Society of America
Barbara Bouyet
237 Venus Street
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360

Akita Rescue of Canada (AROC)
Akita and Shiba Inu
Steve Watson or Maureen Stapleton
RR 2 Stayner
ON LOM 1SO
Steve: 705-428-3039 Maureen: 416-899-3370

Alaskan Malamute

Alaskan Malamute Club of America
Virginia DeVaney
P.O. Box 170
Cedar Crest, NM 87008
505-281-3961

Alaskan Malamute Club of Greater Houston
Holly Mason
16103 Sealiner
Houston, TX 77062
713-480-6203

Alaskan Malamute Rescue of California
Wendy Corr
415-538-1529 (CA)
or
Tina Dunn, rescue coordinator
5040 Barnard Street
Simi Valley, CA 93063
805-583-8280
or
Valerie White
805-526-0165 (CA)
notes: "We rescue and house, abused, unwanted or abandoned
Alaskan Malamutes. All of our rescued Malamutes are spayed
or neutered, health checked, vaccinated and temperament
tested before they are relocated in suitable, adoptive
homes. Donations greatly appreciated.

Alaskan Malamute Protection League
P.O. Box 170
Cedar Crest, NM 87008
505-281-3961
notes: This organization is a National Information
Network servicing individuals and Rescue Organizations working
for the Alaskan Malamute. State coordinators
provide information from and to a National file.

Alaskan Malamute Protection League
You can call any of the following:
Jan Smith
203-649-0079
Connecticut
or
Theresa Hawley
508-667-6008 (MA)
or
Susan Conant
617-965-5542 (MA)
or
Kay Howard
508-785-1853 (MA)
or
Patrick Smith
413-848-2121
Western Massachusetts
or
Sally Boggs
207-647-5707
Maine

Joan Bastura
802-722-9759
Vermont

baylist: Andy Gach
1621 Christina Dr.
Las Altos, CA 94022

American Eskimo
Debbie Ritchie
413-862-3329
Western Massachusetts

American Eskimo
Libby McGreevy
San Bruno, CA (Northern California)
415/952-1765
li...@ucsfvm.ucsf.edu

American Water Spaniel

The American Water Spaniel Field Association of America
Breed Rescue Chairperson: Lynn Morrison
P.O. BOX 160
Union Lake, MI 48387-0160
(810)-363-0858 or (810)-674-9336

American Water Spaniel Club
Sharon Beaupre
WS
715-878-4549

American Pit Bull Terrier

National Rescue Program for the APBT (not governed by NAPBTA)
Sara Quinn
RR2 Box 1427
Hinesburg, VT 05461
(802) 482-3869

Pits for People
Sharon Veci
203-742-9364 (CT)

Argentine Dogo

Argentine Dogo Club of America
Gabriel Moyette
BOx 234 Blueberry Hill Rd.
West Shokan, NY 12494
914-657-8370
notes: "...offers a nationwide rescue for unwanted and
abandoned DOGOS. Note that these dogs are turned in under
a variety of names including Dogo Argentino, Argentine
Mastiff, Argentine Bulldog and even occasionally as a large
white 'Pit Bull'. The Club has kennel space in most areas
of the country. If there is no one in the area, we will
air ship to a volunteer facility. Rescued Dogos are
neutered, temperament tested and placed in loving homes."

Australian Cattle Dog

Australian Cattle Dog Club of America
Rescue Chair
Valerie Eltzroth
IL
815-455-5296
or
John Kurpas
19975 Concord
Detroit, MI, 48234
313-366-0537
or
Judith Ransom
P.O. Box 594
Lithia Springs, GA 30057
404-944-7562

|| Karl Henning and Julie Bender
|| ACD Rescue of Michigan
|| 4221 Burtch Road
|| Grass Lake MI 49240
|| hen...@pms923.pms.ford.com

|| Katharine Cummings
|| (Binghamton, NY area)
|| kcum...@bingsuns.cc.binghamton.edu
|| (also does GSD rescue)

Australian Kelpie
Jo Ann Weller
303-659-6832

Jan Wesen
206-766-6808
Washington

Australian Shepherd

Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA)
Aussie Rescue and Placement Program
1-800-892-ASCA (2722)
in New England, call
Peter Kontos
413-467-9812 after 1:30 pm. EST

Don Rowan
301-937-3349
Maryland

Kathy McDonald
305-373-1908

Carolina Australian Shepherd Club
Aussie Rescue Group
Kathleen Cole
803-556-2338
or
Melanie Schlaginhaufen
910-643-1615

Mary Cummings
607-729-2718 (NY area)
(Also does GSD rescue work)

Australian Terrier

Australian Terrier Club of America
Barbera Curtis
939 Lochness Court
Ft. Collins, CO 80524
303-482-9163

Margaret Reignier
414-468-1796

Debra Austin
716-763-1536
New York

Basenji

Basenji Club of America
Rescue Chair
Judith Holiday
CO
303-795-5382

Karen Butler
313-669-5943

Jennifer Hampton
313-475-8825

Basenji Club of Northern California
Margaret Hoff
191 Butterfield Rd.
San Anselmo, CA 94960
415-453-2510

Basenji Club of Southeastern Wisconsin
Pat Wand
3636 N. 100th Street
Milwaukee, WI 53222
414-466-6478

Dallas-Ft. Worth Basenji Club
Linda Coker
321 Birchwood Dr.
Garland, TX 75043
214-681-7129

Nancy Sullivan
703-830-2710
Virginia

Iris Craven
301-875-2449
Maryland

Cathy Cant
301-627-3123
Maryland

baylist: Margaret Hoff
191 Butterfield Rd.
San Anselmo, CA 94960

Delaware Valley Basenji Club
Mark Baime
908-580-9212
New Jersey

Bay State Basenji Club
(New Hampshire and Mass)
Jennifer and Fred Sienko
603-942-7667
email fsi...@ede.sanders.lockheed.com

Basset Hound

Basset Hound Club of America (BHCA) Rescue
Rescue Chair
Libby Sallada (Denver CO area)
303-798-0942

Northern California Basset Hound Club
Ruth Wilcox
510-562-1906 (CA)

High Country Basset Rescue and Adoption (Denver Metro Area)
Bill Nail
Denver, CO area
303-364-1877

|| Basset Rescue
|| Tish Lee
|| 904-264-4020 (FL)

|| Nancy Bresler
|| 407-727-7292 (FL)

Carol Makowski
Bristlecone Basset Hounds
303/665-9007
mako...@rap.ucar.edu

Basset Hound Rescue League
Arlene Kahn
P.O. Box 44201
Fort Washington MD 20744
Covers Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia, Southern PA,
West Virginia, and some North Carolina
301-292-3020, 301-805-9321, or 703-281-1035

Pilgram Basset Hound Club
Barbara Boudreau
21 Podunk Road
Sturbridge, MA 01566
508-347-3207

Kirk Joiner
617-984-0667 (after 6) (Mass.)

Tri-State Basset Hound Rescue League
(was Berkshire Valley Basset Hound Club)
Barbara Wicklund
1737 Route 206
Skillman, NJ 08558 (NJ, Southern PA)
908-874-0508

Kathy Karppinen
2080 SW 187th
Aloha, OR 97006
503-642-1519

Kris Pellom
801-566-5590 (UT)

Badgerland Basset Hound Club
Jane Baetz, Rescue Chairperson
2175 Hwy. Y
West Bend, WI 53094
414-375-2522

Basset Hound Rescue
Phyllis Stapells
St. John's Sideroad
RR 3 Stouffville
ON L4A 7X4
416-640-3819

Basset Hound Club of B.C.
Miss Anna Phillips, President
17 James St.
Strathroy, ON N7G 1S6
(519) 245-1358

Beagle
SOS Beagle Rescue
Linda Forrest
1286 Smithville Road
Bordentown, NJ 08505
609-267-5157
"Purebred Beagles for adoption. Vet checked, loving compainions
and adoption application required."

Blossom Valley Beagle Club
Mary Powell & Trudi Reveira
1015 Reed Ave.
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
408-244-1840

Mandy Cronin
804-929-4454 (VA)

Beagle Rescue
Sylvia Rushforth
(303) 795 - 2837

baylist: 408-244-1848

Bearded Collie

Bearded Collie Club of America
Barbara Marshall (past chair?)
617-275-0637
or
Paul Glatzer
10 Eden Drive
Smithtown, NY 11787
516-724-0871
or
Chantal Bailey
771 SW 121 St.
Davie, FL 33325
305-475-0095

Mark Ropersburg
882-4773

baylist: Ann Angevin Allen
87 Claire Way
Tiburon, CA 94920

Beauceron

Beauceron Club of America (BCA)
Nancy McDowell - Chair, Beauceron Rescue for North America
PO Box 30082
Eugene, OR 97403
phone: 503-485-1545
e-mail contact: Lori_...@ccmail.uoregon.edu

North Am. Beauceron Club
106 Halteman Rd
Pottstown, PA 19464
Breed info and rescue

Susan Bulanda
215-323-8022
Pennsylvania

Claudia Batson
804-293-4037
Virginia

Bedlington Terriers

Bedlington Terrier Club of America
Linda Jones
FL
813-388-3315
or
Judy Barton (Monte)
806 Oregon St.
Bakersfield, CA 93305
805-322-4542
805-324-1074

Belgian Laekenois
See Alicia Marcinczyk under Belgian Tervuren.
She accepts infos on Belgian Sheepdogs,
Belgian Malinois, and Belgian Laekenois and Tervs.

Belgian Malinois

American Belgian Malinois Club
Jennifer Leseberg
HCR#1 Box 59
Sciota, PA 18354
717-992-5602
or
Allyson Olson
Box 95
Marysvale, UT 84750
801-326-4243

baylist: 408-946-2136 or 415-365-5613

Also see Alicia Marcinczyk under Belgian Tervuren.
She accepts infos on Belgian Sheepdogs,
Belgian Malinois, and Belgian Laekenois and Tervs.

Belgian Sheepdog
Belgian Sheepdog Club of America
Roy A. Elliott
Rt. 2, Box 384
Buffalo, MN 55313

United Belgian Shepherd Dog Club
c/o (the chairperson is moving - I will
Randie Meyer update when she's available again)
3 Mayhew Lane
Amherst, NH 03031-2032
603-673-6245
or
Susan Morian
207-832-7025 (ME)

Phyllis Davis
2530 Harbison Rd.
Cedarville, OH 45314
(513) 766-2654

Janet Bennett
P.O. Box 1046
Culpeper, VA 22701
703-547-3252

Sharon Roundy
708-343-3358 (This is in Illinios)

Barb Vaneseltine
619-327-9038

Marilyn Russell
207-848-5613
Maine

Patricai Barrett
603-848-5613

|| Greater Chicago Belgian Sheepdog Club
|| Kathy Champine
|| cham...@cs.uwp.edu

Kathy Greenwood
1304 Glen Oaks Ct.
Norman, Ok 73071
(405) 366-7473
(ka...@aardvark.ucs.uoknor.edu)

Kathy Ellis: head of rescue committee for Belgian
Sheepdog of America club
4815 Wards Chapel Rd.
Owings Mills, MD 21117
(410) 655-3812

See Alicia Marcinczyk under Belgian Tervuren.
She accepts infos on Belgian Sheepdogs,
Belgian Malinois, and Belgian Laekenois and Tervs.

Belgian Tervuren

American Belgian Tervuren Club
Miki Baiocchi (this info may be out of date)
107 East 2nd
Georgetown, TX 78626-5013
512-863-9251
512-869-3539 (work)
or
Cindy Simonsen
W359 S2546 Highway 67
Dousman, WI 53118
414-965-3490

Barb Vaneseltine
619-327-9038

Manely Tervuren Belgian Club
Alicia Marcinczyk, Rescue Chair (Northeast States)
Box 736 RFD #1
Cornish, ME 04020
207-637-2588
Also accepts infos on Belgian Sheepdogs,
Belgian Malinois, and Belgian Laekenois

|| Acadia BSD Club (UBSDA) and
|| Mainely Tervuren Belgian Club (ABTC)
|| Sue Morlan
|| 207-832-7025 (ME
or
|| JoAnne LaFear
|| 445-4415 (ME)

|| Berkshire Belgian Tervuren Club
Linda Boncek
203-881-0845
Connecticut
or
Don McManus
413-467-9881
Western Massachusetts
or
Paula Eldridge
603-437-6231
New Hampshire

|| Northern California Redwood Empire BT Fanciers
|| Derede Arthur and Rob Michalski
|| Internet: dlar...@leland.stanford.edu
|| or rmmc...@leland.stanford.edu

Bernese Mountain Dog

Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America
National Rescue Chair
Beth Friichtenicht
309-596-2633 (IL)

Gisela Liden
548 W. State Ave.
Phoenix, Az. 85021
(602) 943-4341

North Start States Bernese Mountain Dog Club
Jenny Pavlovic, Rescue Chair
5381 St. Croix Trail S.
Afton, MN 55001
612-426-6164
pav1...@gold.tc.umn.edu

Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Nashoba Valley
Carol Holden
345 Masspoag Ave
Sharon, MA 02067
617-784-6826
or
Paul
508-448-3183

Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Watchung
Lillian Ostermiller
P.O. Box 54
Flemington, NJ 08822
(need a phone number update!)

North Coast BMDC of Ohio, Inc.
Rescue Committee
Sue Sanvido, Chairperson
(216) 235-3686
27170 Bagley Road
Olmsted Twnship, OH 44138
or
|| Jill Pappenhagen
|| Internet: j...@cwru.edu

Bichon Frise

Bishon Frise Club of America
Laura Fox-Meachen
Wisconsin
414-878-2880

Bichon Frise Club of Northern New Jersey
Anne Baird
25 Hayes Avenue
Millville, NJ 08332
609-327-2544

National Bichon Frise Rescue Trust
Nancy McDonald
14303 Spring Maple Lane
Houston, TX 77063

Bichon Frise Rescue
Shirley
301-990-0491 (MD)
or
Phyllis
703-670-3111

Bichon Frise Club of Greater Houston
Carolyn Messner
10702 Burgonyne Rd.
Houston, TX 77042

Bichon Frise Club of San Diego
Betty Ribble
13035 Via Caballo Rojo
San Diego, CA 92129
619-556-6578

Greater New York Bichon Frise Fanciers
Eleanor Grossick
41 Audrey Ave.
Elmont, NY
516-561-9147

Bichon Frise Club of Southern New England
Irene Libby
203-763-0547
Connecticut

Bichon Frise Club of Canada
Norma Dirszworsky, Secretary
12 Mill Pond Lane
Udora, ON L0C 1L0
(705) 228-1148

Bloodhound
American Bloodhound Club
Ed Kilby
FL
904-788-0137
or
Susan La Croix Hamil
20372 Laguna Canyon Rd.
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
714-494-1076
714-494-9506
or
Gina Lyn Hayes
508-693-7299 (MA)

Jim Smotrich
508-372-6200 days
508-372-0131 eves (MA)

Kathleen & Bob Shaps
603-673-8516 (NH)

Bloodhounds West * Breed Rescue
20372 Laguna Canyon Road
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
(714) 494-9506

Border Collie

The North American Border Collie Rescue Network:
Nancy Starkey in Maryland (301-253-4732)
or
Carole Presberg, NABCRN (607-659-5868)
Box 843, Ithaca, NY 14851
(send a long SASE for information and rescue list)

Nancy Broderick
708-841-8344

Janet Larson
603-868-5313
New Hampshire

|| Linda
|| 705 Logan
|| Helena, MT 59601
|| (406)443-1380
|| email: run...@aol.com

|| ALL IN CA:
|| Loretta Madduz
|| 510-236-7711

|| Pat Cook
|| 510-886-8147

|| Debbie Proctor
|| 415-381-9641

|| Susan Wilson
|| 408-998-1714

|| Kathy Kemper
|| Internet: kke...@metronet.com

|| Millissa DeMille
|| Internet: mell...@mendel.berkeley.edu

Border Terrier
Border Terrier Club of America
JoEllen Wolf
GA
706-863-0951

North American Border Terrier Welfare
Robert Cowell
203-334-3025
Connecticut
or
Kate Murphy
508-372-1775 (MA)
or
|| Jenny Chambers
|| 802-253-4789
or
Pam & Chris Dyer (coordinators)
3685 Montee 4eme Rang
Ste-Marie-Madeleine, QUE JOH 1SO
514-584-3951
Area Reps:
Quebec: Jocelyne Tasse-Durosher 514-641-0941
Ontario: Marnie Fielding 613-825-0722
Alberta: June Smith 403-283-1364

baylist: Jim Kane
5509 Blank Rd.
Sebastapol, CA 95472

Borzoi

Borzoi Club of America
Barbara Skinner, rescue chair
908-859-4554 (NJ)

Borzoi Club of California
Margaret Jemison
(Orange Cty.)
6292 Shayne Dr.
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
714-846-4192
or
Judith Lofgren (L.A.)
213-540-9695

Borzoi Club of Delaware Valley
Debbie Carcillo
1407 Rising Sun Ave.
Parkland, PA 19047
215-757-2487

Borzoi Rescue of Northern California
Jacquieline Gregory
P.O. Box 733
Somerset, CA 95684
209-245-6994

Puget Sound Borzoi Club
Lita Bond
13106 SE 304th
Auburn, WA 98002
206-833-5876

Ted Turchin
603-964-8514
New Hampshire
(also other sighthounds)

Susan Caulkins
515-842-7333

baylist: Jacqueline Gregory
PO Box 773
2200 Wolfhound Rd.
Somerset, CA 95648

Boston Terrier

Boston Terrier Club of America
Ellen Dresselhuis
Minnesota
612-537-6474
Call for local referrals, too.

Boston Terrier Club of Maryland
Rescue Committee
Rachel Toczylowski
8906 Ardwick-Ardmore Rd.
Lanham, MD 20785
(301) 322-7464
Fostering, adoption, and referrals
Covers the Maryland, Virgina, Penns, Delaware,
and D.C. areas.

Boston Terrier Club of Milwaukee
Dr. Myles Notaro
2925 South 10th St.
Milwaukee, WI 53215
414-482-1633

Detroit Boston Terrier Club
Barbara Lohringel
696 Merrimac
Canton, MI 48188
313-397-8982
or Mira Jilbert
2082 Butterfield
Troy, MI 48084
313-643-7282

Lenape Boston Terrier Club
Alma Bettencourt
41 Main Rd.
Flanders, NJ 07836
201-584-9485

Minuteman Boston Terrier Rescue
Betty Foerster
617-323-7966 (MA)

Alice Krawczyk
401-245-6308
Rhode Island

Mary Wolhmar
603-435-8727 (NH)

Boston Terrier Club of Canada
Doreen Jones, Secretary
7127 5th St. S.W.
Calgary, AB T2V 1B2
(403) 259-3295

baylist: Nancy Ford
10520 Baywood Ct.
Cupertino, CA 95014
408-252-0598

Bouvier Des Flandres
American Bouvier des Flanders Club, Inc.
Diane Sutherland
227 Dalton
Mundelein, IL
708-949-7512
or
Ralph Goldman Memorial Fund
American Bouvier Rescue League
Jacqueline R. Crowe, committee chair
1880 West 11800 South
South Jordan, Utah 84065
801-254-0462

American Bouvier de Flandres Club Inc,
Northeastern Rescue Coordinators
John Canty
508-741-3670 (MA)
work: 508-745-1718
or
Hilarie Felber
203-643-7066 (CT)

Bouvier des Flanders Club of SE Michigan
Sandra Jarrell
5522 Lake Vista
Pontiac, MI 48054
313-881-0200
313-681-5652

Northeastern Illinois Bouvier des Flanders
Candice Lutz
210 Hazelwood Dr.
Lindenhurst, IL 60046
708-356-0084

Maureen Patterson
508-358-6657 (MA)

Ken Westphal
617-979-0854 (MA)

Debbie Goldstein
703-786-2346
Virginia

Nancy Woodley (Rescue Chairman for the SouthEast)
3114 Wilson Road
Decatur, GA 30030
404-723-1273

Boxer

American Boxer Association
Tracy L. Hendrickson
4412 W. Kent Circle
Broken Arrow, OK 74135
800-999-8387

Boxer Rescue Service, Inc.
Jean Loubriel
90 Holland Ave.
Demarest, NJ 07627
201-786-6627
notes: "Rescue on average as many as three Boxers a week.
There is coverage of shelters, kennels, pounds and
veterinarian's offices looking for the distressed Boxer
Puppy and Adult."

Jill Dennis
313-652-3178 (MI)

Bluebonnet Boxer Club
Stephania Jinks
1210 Magnolia Lane
Kingwood, TX 77339
713-359-4255
or Jinna Dunn
P.O. Box 8732
Grangerland, TX 77302
408-231-3873

Greater Miami Boxer Club
Elizabeth McCann
3601 NW 35th Way
Lauderdale Lakes, FL 33309
305-484-3076

Pacific Northwest Boxer Club
Bill and Sarah McNary
9006 184th SE
Snohomish, WA 98290
206-483-9358

Boxer Rescue Service, Inc.
Michele McArdle
203-853-9595
Connecticut
or
Beth Coviello
508-695-1972 (evenings)
617-784-7750 (days)
Massachusetts
or
Lois Ann Holmes
207-825-3688 (ME)

Ursula P. Sauthier
17100 Ventura Blvd. #111
Encino, CA 91316-4077
818-343-6244

Sheila Fraswer
8031 South 130th
Seattle, WA
206-228-1860

|| Saucon Valley Boxer Club
|| Mary Leibensperger
|| PA
|| (H) 610-797-8392 (W) 610-866-0400

baylist: 415-383-1065

Briard

Briard Club of America
Jack Wynne, U.S. & Canada
321 Central
Inkster, MI 48141
313-729-7590
or
Mary Bloom
53-07 Douglaston Parkway
Douglaston, NY 11362
718-224-5275

|| Briard Club of America Rescue Program volunteer
|| Dianne Schoenberg (WA)
|| Internet: dia...@u.washington.edu

Marsha and Dennis Gough
Oroville, CA
916-533-5497

Mike Johnson
El Toro, CA
714-581-2597

Mary Lopez
Salinas, CA
408-663-3200

Gwen Shook
Grand Terrace, CA
714-783-2117

Judith Pratt
603-464-3216 (NH)
(referral only)

Marsha Clamp
617-325-6511 (MA)

Judy Ziozios
517-790-9590 (MI)

Brittany

American Brittany Club
Anne Murphy
908-840-2169 (NJ)

Aloha Brittany Club
Dimi Poser
P.O. Box 78
Waianae, HI 96792

|| Martha Close
|| VA
|| 703-764-0884

|| Walter & Diane Scott
|| VA
|| 804-357-2857

Missouri Brittany Club
Dave White
12012 W. 150th Circle
Olathe, KS 66062
913-897-3822

Ellynn Packard
53 Pleasant St.,
Cohasset, MA 02025
617-383-9701

Joanne Godin
603-898-1746
New Hampshire

Brussels Griffon
NBGC Rescue
Marjorie Simon, breed rescue chairman
25 Windermere
Houston, TX 77063
713-783-8887

Linda Knight
703-364-2068
Virginia

baylist: Joan Guest
860-862 Old County Rd.
Belmont, CA 94002

Bulldog

Bulldog Club of America
Dr. James K. Young
512-340-0055 (TX)

Pat and Pam Devoid
Hillsborough County, FL (near Tampa Bay)
813-988-7324

Joyce Smith
Pinellas County, FL (near Tampa Bay)
813-733-3284
(also does French Bulldog Rescue)

Bulldog Club of Texas
Brandy Nunciato
17719 Heritige Creek Drive
Webster, TX 77598

Bulldog Club of Denver
Sandra Coffman
6917 W. Frost Pl.
Littleton, CO 80123
303-979-6460

Bulldog Club of Northern California
Pat Ropp
132 Blueberry Hill
Los Gatos, CA 95030
408-356-0039

|| English Bulldog Rescue
|| Chuck Reeb
|| PA
|| 412-746-0985

San Antonio Bulldog Club
Dr. Jim Young and Diana Young
7508 Marbach Rd.
San Antonio, TX 78227
512-673-8020
512-340-0055

Donna Marcham
617-335-2809 (MA)
(referral only)

Miriam Lundeen (maine only)
207-989-6791

Sylvia Arrowwood
Monks Corner, SC
803-899-7460
also does Pugs

Barbara Mangini
203-281-1409
Connecticut

Amy Knerr-Hankinson
500 Welsh Lane
Granville, OH 43023
614-587-4042
Covers OH, VA, IL, WV, IN
(also places other breeds from time to time)

Bullmastiff
The American Bullmastiff Association
Mary Walsh
690 E. 8th St.
S. Boston, MA 02127
617-268-0359
HOTLINE: 508-939-5300
or
Virginia Rowland (@ HOTLINE number)

Barbara Brant
313-437-3314 (MI)

|| Bullmastiff Rescue and Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue
|| Mark Worrell
|| internet: ma...@dsinet.dgtl.com
or
|| Barbara Brooks-Worrell
|| internet: bbr...@u.washington.edu

The following are in CA:
|| Claudette Aamodt
|| 707-584-9359

|| Phillip Maresca
|| 415-594-9304 work: 415-960-1120

|| Nancy McDonnell
|| 415-595-2266

|| Dee Gensburger
|| 707-763-8443

Bull Terrier
Bull Terrier Club of America
Norma Shepherd
800-BTB-T911 (RI)
or
Bill Edwards
1526 Belleau Rd.
Glendale, CA 91206
818-956-1170
1-800-282-8911

Bull Terrier Club of Metro Detroit
Sharon Whalen
7185 Gillette
Flushing, MI 48433
313-659-5951

Bull Terrier Club of New England
Kathy Brosnan
P.O. Box 634
Kingston, NH 03848
603-642-5355
or
Christine St. Cyr
617-867-4017 (MA)

Bull Terrier Club of St. Louis
Jeff Clinebell, D.V.M.
Columbia Animal Hospital
Columbia, IL 62236
618-281-7161

Central New Jersey Bull Terrier Club
Corinne Gliozzi
31 Bloomfield Ave.
Somerset, NJ 08873
201-214-0170

Barbary Coast Bull Terrier Club
Shari A. Mann
1241 27th Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94122
415-564-9335

Blue Ridge Bull Terrier Club
Cheryl Yost
4401 Manor Hall Lane
Fairfax, VA 22033
703-378-5373

David Weber
Rt. 3 Box 162
Charlottesville, VA 22901
804-971-9668

Buckeye Bull Terrier Club (Northern Ohio)
Kayla Applebaum
2765 Som Cntr. Rd.
Huntington Valley, OH 44022
216-464-0396

Same as above but Southern Ohio
Carolyn Kramer
4611 Manchester Rd.
New Middletown, OH 45042
513-424-4909

Bull Terrier Club of America
Randy and Jan Bisgaard
1173 N. Westmoreland Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90029
213-667-0582

Bull Terrier Club of Canada (Alberta Div.)
Tom O'Conner
Box 5958, Station A
Calgary, Alberta, T24 1Y4
Canada
403-936-5501

Bull Terrier Club of Puget Sound
Linda Owings-Rosenburgh
7033 52nd Ave. N.E.
Seattle, WA 98115
206-865-7539

Bull Terrier Club of Tampa Bay
Sandra Hill-Cowen
2810 Crystal Court
Coconut Grove, FL 33153
305-858-3827

Ft. Dearborn Bull Terrier Club
Katherine Ross
151 Saemann Rd.
Chesterton, IN 46304
219-926-6959

Golden Triangle Bull Terrier Club
Betty Desmond
R.D. 2, Box 315
Claysville, PA 15323
412-663-5345

Mile High Bull Terrier Club
Mark and Diane Haller-Campbell
3446 Longview Rd.
Erie, CO 80226
303-828-3027

Dee Garrison
1070 E. Eaton St.
Lakewood, CO 80226
303-935-2791

Kathy Brosnan
603-642-5355
New Hampshire

Charlene Rogers
203-747-6397
Connecticut

Bull Terrier Welfare and Rescue
Norma
800-BT-BT-911

Bull Terrier Club of Central Arizona
Lisa Newell
5002 West Stephanie Rd.
#114
Glendate, AZ 85301
602-931-2654

Cairn Terrier

Cairn Terrier Club of America
Betty Marcum
Rt. 3, Box 78
Alvarado, TX 76009
817-783-5979
and
co-chairs: Sue DeWitt
203-846-3345 (CT)
Lynne Nabors
314-773-8712 (Texas)
or
NE Regional Chair, Anne Maning
401-739-6680 (RI)

Sue Millward
313-429-4068 (MI)

Becky Stamps
214-416-7277 or 214-464-5262
Texas

Cairn Terrier Club of Denver
Nancy Cassel
795 Spanish Bit Dr.
Colorado Springs, CO 80921
719-488-3195

Cairn Terrier Club of Northern California
Bobbie Walker
P.O. Box 2177
Mill Valley, CA 94442
415-388-6708

Cairn Terrier Club of Southern California
Karen Smith
889 El Paisano Dr.
Fallbrook, CA 92028
619-728-7133

Potomac Cairn Terrier Club
Lynda Hammel
12027 Sugarland Valley Dr.
Herndon, VA 22070
703-471-7769

Cairn Terrier Club of Canada - Ontario & Eastern Regions Rescue
Edith Skellett
4243 Tisdale Rd
RR 3 Mount Hope
Ontario, CA
LOR 1WO
416-679-6741 (between 9am - 8pm)

Nancy Barrett
|| 508-583-0458
MA

|| Kathy Nicklas-Varraso
|| email contact: kat...@world.std.com

Anne Manning
Rhode Island
401-739-6680

Cardigan Welsh Corgi -see Welsh Corgi Cardigan

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Babs Murdock
207-829-4436
Maine

Debbi Baker
617-784-8038
MA

Patricia Hutchins
517-686-1396
MI

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels of B.C.
Katie J. Eldred
34639 4th Ave
Huntingdon, BC
VOX 1MO
604-853-6974

Chesapeake Bay Retriever

Paulette Nolan
508-548-0127 (MA)

Chihuahua

Chihuahua Club of America
Mrs. Ruth Terry
203-227-3177 (CT)

Judy Edson
(i have 2 addresses/phone numbers:)
508-224-3163 (MA)
207-224-3163 (ME)

Claire Contos
617-361-0041 or 617-498-9041 (MA)

Sue Fish
413-773-9337 (MA)

Chihuahua Club of B.C.
Edna St. Hilaire
2114 Dublin St.
New Westminster, BC V3M 3A9
(604) 521-0922

Sandy Rinder
212-475-8479 (NY City area)

** NEW BREED ***
Chinese Crested

New Jersey Chinese Crested Rescue
Cyndy Carroll
19 Lakeview Drive
Tabernacle, NJ 08088
609-268-8926
david...@aol.com

Chinese Shar Pei

Chinese Shar-pei Club of Americaa
Chinese Shar-pei Rescue Committee
Eastern Region Coordinator
Alice Lawler
P.O. Box 143
Creamridge, NJ 08514
609-758-7630

Chinese Shar-Pei Club of the Raritan Valley Rescue
Randy Blumhagen
254 Hillside Ave.
Cranford, NJ 07016
908-276-4355
or
Maryann Smithers
232 Park Rd,
Boonton, NJ 07005
201-334-8035
or
Cynthia Czarda-Black
7 13th St.
North Brunswick, NJ 08902
(grooming shop) 908-846-4949

Chinese Sharpei Rescue of New England
Edward Yee
617-262-2776 (MA)
or
Charlene Rogers
203-747-6397
Connecticut
or
Ann Doolittle
203-387-2792 (CT)

Chinese Shar Pei Rescue
617-524-8368 (MA)

Chow Chow
Chow Chow Club Rescue
Chris Cameron
209-733-8738
or
Barbara Malone
201-872-9253 (NJ)
or
Dr. J.A. DeBlois
319-359-9208
see also: Vicki Rodenberg below

Elaine Albert
516-361-9496

Chow Chow Club of Greater Houston
Shirley Gooch
P.O. Box 1593
Houston, TX 77251-1593
713-453-7834

Wisconsin Chow Chow Club
Vicki Rodenberg
9828 E. Co. A
Janesville, WI 53546
608-756-2008

Mt. Hood Chow Chow Club
Joyce Hay
8455 S.E. Orchard Lane
Portland, OR 97266
503-774-5127

Rita Enwright
508-688-7288 (MA)
(referrals only)

Pam Skorupski
208-881-2469
CT

Sandy Wesley
603-826-4823 (NH)

Chow Chow Fanciers of Canada, South Central Ontario
Judy Goacher
4248 RR 1 Kendal, ON LOA 1EO
416-983-6412 (between 6-9pm)

baylist: Ellen Prior
6095 Springer Way
San Jose, CA 95123

Clumber Spaniel
Clumber Spaniel Rescue Committee
c/o Janna Glasser
40 Crosshill Road
Hartsdale, NY 10530
914-428-4582

Vikki Lucas
407-696-2338

Cocker Spaniel - See also English Cocker Spaniel

|| American Cocker Spaniel Club
|| Jackie Rowe
|| CA
|| 619-466-1407 (office)
|| 619-460-6407 (home)
|| Should be able to give out local rescue info.

Bay Cities Cocker Spaniel Club
Vera Sill
110 Yellowood Pl.
Pittsburg, CA 94565

Cocker Spaniel Rescue of New England
Gerry Foss
603-547-3363 (eves & weekends)
New Hampshire

Cocker Rescue of Greater Boston
Anne Lindsay
617-241-8211 (MA)

|| Cocker Rescue
|| Lori
|| 301-582-1426

|| Cocker Rescue
|| Leslie Jackson
|| 301-694-8118

baylist: Ann Norton
237 Santa Lucia Ave. #5
San Bruno, CA 94006

Collie

Collie Club of America
Gene Malone
602-790-0317 (AZ)

Tuscon Collie Club
Jean Malone
7066 Calle Centuri
Tuscon, AZ 85710
602-790-0317

Northern California Collie Rescue
Jean Roberts
1046 Sunset Rd.
Napa, CA 94558
707-252-2134
408-288-6624 (Santa Clara County) (mi...@novell.com)
408-683-4604 (Gilroy/Santa Cruz)

Collie Rescue Southern California
Cookie Routman
909 15th St., Apt. E
Santa Monica, CA 90403
213-395-6496 (Los Angeles)
805-255-5777 (Saugus, Lancaster)
805-524-4542 (Ventura County)
805-969-5548 (Santa Barbara County)

Collie Club of Colorado
LaVonne Archuletta
3226 W. Exposition Ave.
Denver, CO 80219
303-936-1519

|| Collie Rescue of Metro Atlanta
|| Connie Delinski
|| 404-633-2337 (GA)

|| Ann Humphries
|| 404-292-9694 (GA)

Collie Rescue League
Marty Hamlin
17604 Parkridge Drive
Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878
phones: (not nec. Marty)
301-948-6849
703-569-4728

Collie Club of Maryland
Pam Catalano
608 Plymouth Rd.
Baltimore, MD 21229
301-747-0296

The Collie Network
Mary Lenertz
P.O. Box 45
Harvard, MA 01451
617-456-8473

Collie Rescue League Of Mass., Inc (serves NE!)
Andria Sobcazk
2 Evergreen Rd
Lincoln, RI 02865-4808
401-726-5927
email contact: Eric Storch -- E.St...@ma02.bull.com
World Wide Web page:
http://stout.ma02.bull.com/~erics/collie-rescue.html
(old number listed as 508-660-1928)

Tri-County Collie Rescue, Michigan
Carol Fox
5955 Mayburn
Dearborn Heights, MI 48127
313-277-2320

Lee Patton
313-522-8405 (MI)

Toledo Collie Club
Carol Lamb
147 Tunnicliffe Rd.
Petersburg, MI 49207
313-856-2072

Toledo Collie Club
Kathy Foley
5434 Armada Dr.
Toledo, OH 43623
419-472-4638

Pacific Northwest Collie Club
Glenda Kelly
44615 NW Elk Mnt. Rd.
Banks, OR 97106
503-324-1872
or
Theresa Uzelac
10685 NW McDaniel Rd.
Portland, OR 97229
503-641-4619

Collie Rescue of South Eastern Pennsylvania
P.O. Box 1307
Willow Grove, PA 19090
Lynn Wolkiewicz
215-335-3544
Linda Knouse
215-659-3331

Collie Club of Western Pennsylvania
Cheryl Flora
132 Church Lane
Pittsburg, PA 15238
412-767-7033

Andria Sobczak
401-726-1688
Rhode Island

Collie Rescue League of Metro, Washington, Inc.
Kay Richter, Secretary
9202 Honey Creeper Ct.
Burke, VA 22015
and
Martha Handman, President
7433 Sportsman Dr.
Falls Church, VA 22043

Collie Club of America
Carol Zielke
205 N.E. 174th
Seattle, WA 98155 *I had this in Spokane?
206-367-6653

The following is a list of names and phone numbers
for Collie Rescue given to me by Holly Kruse.

AZ: Patrick Martin, 602/948-1503
CA: Kay Bedeau, 916/423-1732]
CO: Susan Murphy, 303/659-7875
CT: Nancy Connor, 413/367-2182
Darlene Ferris, 203/877-2431
IL: Anne Rice, 708/940-1596
Jan Ziech, 815/475-7143
KY: Christine Schroth, 606/586-5750
LA: Carolyn Donner, 504/391-0151
MA: Nancy Connor (see CT)
MD: Barbara Bernhardt, 301/236-9294
ME: Claire Marx, 207/892-3118
MI: Megan Veen, 313/664-2548
MO: Cecily Barker, 314/567-6289
NC: Claudia Aaron-Sneed, 919/791-2518
NH: Beth Michaud, 603/424-5436
NJ: Anna Jones, 908/464-5720
Marge Lippman, 201/962-4173
NY: Christine Wayman, 518/734-3179
OH: Nonda Jones, 216/235-4197
Ruth White, 412/443-6248
OR: Pam Beery, 503/246-0688
PA: Sandy Fisher, 215/932-2777
Doug Miller, 717/382-4086
Ruth White (see OH)
TX: Marion Pahy, 512/494-0389
Bettina Whyte, 713/661-2052
VA: Teresa Warner, 703/528-7349
WI: Marge Hohman, 414/734-6734
E. Ann Buck, 715/344-8533

baylist: 707-445-3685

Corgi -see Welsh Corgi

Curly-Coated Retriever

Curly-Coated Retriever Club of America
Sandra Freeman
919-867-7795 (NC)

Dachshund

Dachshund Club of America
Ruth Martucci
7647 Sunset Ave
Fair Oaks, CA 95628
or
Lena K. Leonardson
603-899-3114 (NH)

Dachshund Rescue of Monmouth/Ocean County
Jody Caizza
New Jersey
908-928-9786

Western Pennsylvania Dachshund Club
Kathryn Daniels
1319 E. Hookstown
Grade Rd.
RD #1
Clinton, PA 15026
412-378-7858

Lori Eden
708-965-4666 (IL)

San Diego Dachshund Club
Dorothy Shelton
4496 Trias St.
San Diego, CA 92120
619-296-036

Eastern Canada
Dachshund Club
Pat Kearney, Secretary
P.O. Box 151
Pakenham, ON K0A 2X0
(613) 624-5608

Joan Dubuc
413-743-4400
Western Massachusetts

Carolyn Smith
508-679-2529 (MA)

|| Mary Anne Fowler
|| IL
|| 708-95-2707

|| Sheila Hitchcock
|| OH
|| 513-825-2116

baylist: 408-253-8153

|| Jessica Lindsay
|| Rock Hill, SC
|| 803-327-5406

Dalmatian
Dalmatian Club of America
Chris Jackson
410-356-7252

Dalmatian Club of Northern California
Joe Immerman
639 Prentiss St.
San Francisco, CA 94110 415-282-6929

Greater Denver Dalmatian Rescue
P.O. Box 620761
Littleton, CO 80162
Andrea: (303) 973-9453
Beth: (303) 226-1316

Dalmatian Club of Southern New England
Carolyn Mullins
203-421-4704
Connecticut

Central CT Dalmatian Club
Leslie & David Prior
203-289-7274 (CT)

Atlanta Dalmatian Rescue
Maria Zorka
metro-Atlanta, GA
404-325-1595
a...@america.net

Dalmatian Adoption League & Rescue
Barb Gunnage, president
D.A.L. Rescue Svc.
20472 Purlingbrook
Livonia, MI 48152
313-471-3487
Mike Harper, VP
313-383-5483 (MI)

Dalmatian Club of Greater St. Louis
June Mueller
3208 Brisolhall Ct.
Bridgeton, MO 63044
314-739-8682

Delaware Valley Dalmatian Club
Donna Howard
218 E. King Street
Malvern, PA 19355
215-853-2839
or Susan Hlavacek
215-647-8884 (PA)

|| Kim & Margaret Blutreich
|| P.O. Box 580
|| Wingate, NC 28174-0580
|| 704-282-4947

|| Piedmont Dalmatian Club
|| Pres., Mary Dolde
|| Rt. 1 Box 139
|| Edgemoor, SC 29712
|| 803-789-5125

|| Central Carolina Dalmatian Club
|| Rescue Chair,
|| Tina Smith
|| 919-269-4683

|| Kate Romanauski
|| 713-298-1443 (TX)

|| Bev Greene
|| 713-444-5019 (TX)

Dandie Dinmont Terrier
Douglas Young
614-869-4243

Dandie Dinmont Terrier Club of America
Jacklyn Moss, rescue chair
703-684-1480 (VA)
also listed:
Evelyn Ammerman
312 Hoffnagle St.
Philadelphia, PA 19111
215-742-6933
215-742-6268

Dogo Argentino - see Argentine Dogo

Doberman Pinscher

Doberman Pinscher Club of America
Judith Fellton
219 Johnson Ferry Rd.
Marietta, GA 30067
404-971-1533

New England Doberman Rescue
508-624-5455 (MA)

Doberman Rescue Unlimited, Inc.
508-454-9791 (MA)

The Doberman Pinscher Club of Michigan
Greater Detroit Area
Maggie Hillard, sec DPCM
496 Emmons Blvd.
Wyandotte, MI 48192
313-284-2549

Aztec Doberman Pinscher Club of San Diego
Angie Monteleon
9821 Dunbar Lane
El Cajon, CA 92021
619-443-8944

Cabrillo Doberman Pinscher Club
Betty Smith
25510 Carmel Knolls
Carmel, CA 93923
408-625-0366
or
Sandra F. Wood
158 Garlin Rd.
Watsonville, CA 95076
408-724-7005

California-Sierra Doberman Pinscher Club
R. Dallara
P.O. Box 3058
San Bernardino, CA 92413
714-884-9604

Doberman Pinscher Breeders Association of Penn-Jersey
Pat Adriano
40 Broad Ave.
Edison, NJ 08820
201-494-0951

Doberman Pinscher Club of Rocky Mountain Area
Nancy Melichar
8358 W. 62nd Pl.
Arvada, CO 80004
303-421-9074

Mt. Hood Doberman Pinscher Club
Pat McMillian 3123 SE 129th Ave.
Portland, OR 97236
503-761-2455

Puget Sound Doberman Pinscher Club
Julianne Ferado
P.O. Box 58455
Renton, WA 98058
206-226-4810

Quaker City Doberman Pinscher Club
Pam Gutekunst
One Melvin Road
Phoenixville, PA 19460
215-935-0822

Santa Ana Valley Doberman Pinscher Club
Jane Menz
1119 S. Clarence
Anaheim, CA 92806
714-956-2685

Tucson Doberman Pinscher Club
Sharon Crissey
4948 La Canada
Tucson, AZ 85705
602-888-9116

New Hampshire Doberman Rescue League
Norma Guronskas
207-457-1329
Maine
or
Paul McTigue
207-947-7274
Maine
or
Barbara Burns
508-256-5776 (MA)
or
Sherry Bovinet
603-357-3533
New Hampshire (also Vermont referrals)
or
Fran Robinson
203-653-4124
Connecticut
or
D. & F. Bloomberg
508-373-0388 (MA)

Judy Staven
401-683-5516
Rhode Island

Patti & Henry Clark
203-426-3154
Connecticut

Robin Tardiff
603-382-9664
New Hampshire

Joanne Bugai
203-349-3788
Connecticut

baylist: 408-734-5834 or 707-448-3850

Elizabeth Adjan
510-532-5040 (bay area, CA)
Always looking for foster homes, too

Doberman Rescue
301-460-3869 (MD)

|| Doberman Rescue (NC)
|| Gabi 704-394-5464
|| Iris 704-392-3259
|| Gail 704-398-0164
|| Donation for adoption is $100 and includes all vaccinations
|| and spay/neuter.

English Bulldog -see Bulldog

English Bull Terrier -see Bull Terrier

English Cocker Spaniel -see also Cocker Spaniel

English Cocker Spaniel Club of America
Marsha T. Wallace, M.D., rescue chair
607 Wayne St.
Alexandria, VA 22301
or
6232 N. 18th Rd.
Arlington, VA 22205
703-548-7641
703-241-5422

Mrs. Jane Doty
508-897-3883

Ann Kimball
802-748-4281 (VT)

|| English Cocker Rescue
|| Mary Beth
|| 410-799-2069

English Pointer -see Pointer

English Setter

English Setter Association of America
Dawn Ronyak
216-285-4531 (OH)

Golden Gate English Setter Club
M.A. Samuelson
21680 Fortini Rd.
San Jose, CA 95120
408-997-2605
408-354-7205

Cheryl Rudolph
508-668-0954 (MA)

English Shepherd
English Shepherd Club
Mary Ann Dwight
413-774-5888
Western Mass, referrals only

English Springer Spaniel
Eastern English Springer Spaniel Hotline
English Springer Spaniel Rescue
Lorraine Paul
P.O. Box 107
Dunstable, MA 01827
617-237-4751

Barbara & Richard Shum
802-438-9836 (VT only)

Hellen Rae Thomas
Everettville, WV 26533
304-278-7657
304-278-7708

baylist: 408-255-8436 or 408-779-2739

English Toy Spaniel
Sue Kisielewski
Route 1, Box 245-X
Monroe, VA 24574
804-946-2417

Fila Brasileiro
Fila Brasileiro
Rt. 1 Box 324
Zebulon, GA 30295
706-567-8085

Fila Brasileiro Registry
P.O. Box 456
Manhattan, KS 66502
913-776-5909
FAX: 913-539-6116

Finnish Spitz
Libby McGreevy
San Bruno, CA (Northern California)
415/952-1765
li...@ucsfvm.ucsf.edu

Flat Coated Retriever
Flat-Coated Retriever Society of America
Dana Crevling
508-529-3564 (MA)

Vicky Nickerson
617-837-1566 (MA)

Joyce Rein
616-846-0773
Michigan

Fox Terrier - Smooth or Wire

American Fox Terrier Club of America
Pam Bishop
(800) FOX-TERR (in CA)
(Should be able to send local rescue references.)

Fox Terrier Club of Northern California
Judy Cullina
266 Castenada Dr.
Millbrae, CA 94030
415-329-1719 (days)
415-697-1921 (evenings)

Holly Peterson
508-663-8093 (MA)
(referrals only)

Jean Derench
603-894-4727 (NH)

Carol Wainwright
313-395-4554 (MI)

Ruth Millington
805-386-3757 (southern CA)
rescue for Wire Fox Terriers, Airedales.
has info on rescue for smooth fox, welsh, and lakelands

Fox Terrier -Toy-see Toy Fox Terrier

French Bulldog

French Bulldog Club of America
Brenda Buckles, rescue network chair
6111 Walnut St.
Kansas City, MO 64113
816-444-3363
or
Jo Ellen Garber
617-961-4553 (MA)

Joyce Smith
Pinellas County, FL (near Tampa Bay)
813-733-3284
(Also so American Bulldog Rescue)

Judy Hoobin
508-399-7315

German Shepherd Dog

German Shepherd Dog Club of America, Inc.
Linda Kury, rescue committee national chair
369 Drake Court
Santa Clara, CA 95051
408-247-1272

German Shepherd Dog Club of Alaska
Bonnie Johnson and Christa Burg
P.O. Box 670266
Chugiak, AK 99567
907-688-2352

Ron and Margaret Nunnally
602-477-2216 (AZ, Phoenix area)

German Shepherd Rescue
Grace Konosky
417 N. Moss St.
Burbank, CA 91502
(818) 558-7560

Monica Royalty
909-674-8363

|| Pat Stevens
|| 510-790-9123

Manuel Madena
714-491-9177

Linda Baker
805-297-1002

|| German Shepherd Club of Greater New Haven (CT)
|| Roberta
|| 203-795-4910 (New Haven)
or
|| Dorrie
|| 203-758-3756
|| Waterbury, CT

Germans Shepherd Rescue
Diane Wright
244 E. Stimmel St.
West Chicago, IL 60184
708-293-4167

Adroscoggins GSD Club of Maine
Winnie And Norman York
207-469-7628 (ME)

Debbie Hokkanen
MA
508-852-4473

Laurie Cleveland
617-585-9825 (Boston area)

Janice Ritter
617-290-0710 (days only) (MA)
(referrals only)

John Hire/Patty Lacroix
Western MA
413-967-8361

German Shepherd Dog Club of Minneapolis-St. Paul
Marilyn Lindsey-Miller
210 Kindross, P.O. Box 574
Willenie, MN 55090
612-426-3682

German Shepherd Rescue
Anne Mackey
Kansas City, MO
816-363-0121

German Shepherd Dog Rescue
919-467-4698 (NC)

The following are in NJ:

|| Jodi Caizza
|| 201-928-9786

|| Kim Dislonde
|| 201-743-8885

|| Iza Kabuska
|| RD2 Box 364
|| Andover, NJ 07821
|| 201-398-1393
|| A full-service rescue

|| Donna Petrosia
|| P.O. Box 903
|| Jackson, NJ
|| 908-370-3795

German Shepherd Dog Club of S. Nevada
Betty Zapatka
5409 Avendia Vaquero
Las Vegas, NV 89108
702-645-2721

German Shepherd Rescue (Placement, evaluation, referrals)
Stu and Karen Randall
228 Gorham Pond Rd.
Goffstown, NH 03045
603-497-3472

German Shepherd Rescue
Christy Shore
Leesburg, NJ
609-785-9728

|| Kim
|| Rutherford NJ
|| 201-935-7076
|| Does rotties and GSDs.

German Shepherd Rescue, Inc of PA (see below)
Southern NJ
609-985-4725

Lacy's Shepherd Rescue
Donna Petroisie
Jackson, NJ
908-370-3795

Ritter Hof Kennel
Mary and Kitty Cummings
810 E. Maine Rd.
Johnson City, NY 13790
607-729-2718

German Shepherd Rescue
Risa Stein
Rocky Pt, NY
516-744-3258

German Shepherd Rescue
Elizabeth Stidham
Eaton, OH 45320
513-456-5393

German Shepherd Rescue, Inc of PA
Nancy Aiosa (717) 586-9064 Diane Reppy (717) 943-2055
Sue Bunnell (717) 388-6959 Charlotte Williams (717) 943-2624

German Shepherd Rescue
Wendall Larson
RD1 Box 415
Upper Black Eddy, PA 18972
|| 215-294-9216

Marci Linn
817-847-1126 (TX)

German Shepherd Dog Club of Dallas
Connie Irwin
214-530-1568 (TX) referrals
or
EJ Murphy
817-481-1753 (TX) referrals

|| German Shepherd Dog Club of Houston
|| Adoptive Assistance
|| Tom Landry
|| 713-251-0403 (Houston area)

German Shepherd Dog Club of Fort Worth
Lee Rugeri
817-431-9163 (TX)

|| Sherry Wallis
|| 725 E. Creekside
|| Houston, TX 77024
|| 713-465-9729

Bonnie Copron
Arlington, VA
802-375-6047

|| Betsy Brown
|| Oragne, VA - referrals
|| 703-854-7840

|| Julie Duh
|| 200 Gravel Ridge Rd.
|| Waynesboro, VA 22980

|| Larry Spivak
|| 9200 Dorothy Lane
|| Springfield
|| 703-451-9046 (VA)

|| Gloria Shelton
|| 703-659-1400 (VA)

|| Debbie Day
|| VA
|| 703-895-9047

Green Mountain German Shepherd Club
Ellamea and Rex Jones
802-775-1704 (VT)

German Shorthaired Pointer

CALIFORNIA:
German Shorthaired Pointer Club of Orange County
Karen Detterich
P.O. Box 818
Mira Loma, CA 91752
714-359-6960

Alison J. Lavitt
13532 Elgers Street
Cerritos, CA 90701
213-921-1345

baylist: 415-493-2555 (Eddyce and Lou Mueller)

German Shorthair Pointer of CA Rescue
Laura Hansen
2644 monte Vista
El Cerrito, CA
(510)235-6792

Grass Valley: Hank & Maggie Deetz (916)764-2595
Livermore: Mimsy Pangilinan (510)449-5197
Napa: Jan Scott (707)257-7008
3258 Sonoma Highway
Napa, CA 94559
Redlands: Stephanie B. Casdorph (909)798-3491

Jean Galli
1225 Buchanan Drive
Santa Clara, CA 95051
408-241-6398

Sharon Ennis
5926 Mauritania Ave
Oakland, CA 94605
510-562-2846

|| COLORADO
|| German Shorthaired Club of America
|| Geraldine Irwin
|| 1101 W. Quincy
|| Englewood, CO 80110

CONNECTICUT

German Shorthaired Pointer Club of America
Chairperson, rescue
Nancy Campbell
P.O. Box 134, Redding, CT 06875
(203)-938-8048

ILLINOIS
Chicago: Melinda Metzger (312)883-1736
Presumption: Bonnie Wilcox, DVM (309)534-8112

KANSAS
Beloit: John Pfefferkorn (? )738-5135
Olathe: Julie Haller (913)782-5866

MAINE
Brunswick: Wilma G. Sarna (207)729-5838

MARYLAND
Upperco: Donna Headley (410)239-8387

MASSACHUSETTS
Hull: Jinny & Jack Nealon (617)925-2579

Laura Grose
508-664-6217 (MA)

Linda Flynn
617-698-2542
(referral only) (MA)

Katahdin German Shorthaired Pointer Club of New England
David Nelson
Lunenburg, MA
508-582-7325

MINNESOTA
Barnum: Don & Betty Sandberg (218)389-3413
Inver Grove Hts.: Sally Battista (612)455-0364

MONTANA
Billings: Nancy Lane (406)698-3438

NEW HAMPSHIRE
Candia: Alison Jones (603)483-8113
Danville: Peggy Gagnon (603)642-5878
Sandown: Tricia Thomas (603)887-2093

NEW JERSEY
Chester: Eleanor Campbell (908)879-2378
Edison: Marcia Steinmann (908)494-1290
Millville: Judith L. Noon (609)825-3948
Morris Plains: Lina Vitanza (201)829-6877
Stockton: Jane C. Ludwig (609)397-2016
Upper Montclair: Joan Tabor (201)746-5986
also GSP rescue (201)746-5986
GSP rescue (609)737-1910

NEW MEXICO
Carrizozo: Sharon Baker (505)354-2894
Las Cruces: Phyllis McNall (505)527-4201

NEW YORK
Hampton: Kenneth Janssen (518)282-9648
Pine Bush: Laura Pedersen (914)744-5501
Red Hook: Jacquelyn Cookingham (914)758-8511
Sound Beach: Lori Truncale (516)821-3084

NORTH CAROLINA
Charlotte: Judith Van Noate (704)375-6957
Walkertown: Beth Cochran, DVM (919)595-3307

OHIO
Cambridge: Betsy Miller (614)439-2652
Medina: Judy Parietti (216)667-2688

PENNSYLVANIA:
Carlisle: Virginia S. Shambaugh (717)249-1947

TEXAS
Red Oak: Joan McGrath (214)617-0256

VERMONT
Shelburne: Lorie A. Crain (802)425-4007

VIRGINIA
Phiolmont: Cecelia Weller (703)338-2801

WASHINGTON
Renton: Linda Zobbi (206)255-7464

German Wirehair Pointer

German Wirehair Pointer Club of America
Linda Strathman
508-249-8360 (MA)

Erica Bandes
203- 266-7883 (CT)

German Wirehair Pointer Club of America
Carol L. Stuart
RD 2, Box 182
Altoona, PA 16601
814-943-4045

Seattle-Tacoma German Wirehaired Pointer Club
Laura Myles
22730 Echo Lake Rd.
Snohomish, WA 98290
206-481-3371

Giant Schnauzer -see Schnauzer-Giant

Golden Retriever

Golden Retriever Club of America
Ginny Kell, rescue chair
314 932-4650 (MO)
or
William Feeney
707 795-7941 (CA)

GRREAT
(Golden Retriever Rescue, Education and Traning,Inc.)
Virginia
(703) 620-6593
(serves D.C., north and northwestern VA, MD, DE, and eastern PA)

Kathy Carbone
301-788-0180 (MD)

Southeastern Virginia GRREAT Inc.
(Golden Retriever Rescue, Education, And Training, Inc.)
P.O. Box 8014
Yorktown, VA 23693
(804) 827-8561
Serving Richmond, VA to Virginia Beach

Golden Retreiver Rescue, Friends for Pets Foundation
Diane Monahan
7131 Owensmouth Ave, Suite 39a
Canoga, CA
818-701-0674
or
LaVonne Rodstein
310-377-2998

|| Golden Retriever Rescue
|| Inland Empire Area (southern CA)
|| Janna Lin
|| 909-924-5251, 909-242-3932, Fax 909-924-4061
|| email: JannaLin@ AOL.Com

Greater Twin Cities Golden Retriever Club
Ardis Brown
1960 Midland Hills Road
Roseville, MN 55113
612-631-0984

Arizona Golden Retriever Rescue
PO BOX 10982
Glendale AZ 85318-0982

Marti Gregoire - full service rescue, all of AZ
9AM - 9PM
602-566-8101 (AZ)

Golden Tales Golden Retriever Rescue
23212 Respit
Lake Forest CA 92630-3851

Long Island Golden Retriever Club
Laurel Doudera
516-727-6306

|| Helen Redlus
|| (408) 738-1235 or (408) 730-9422
|| San Francisco Bay area, CA
|| email: hre...@rahul.net
|| The Golden WWW page - http://www.rahul.net/hredlus
|| (for lots of referral golden rescue info)

Rio Grande Valley Golden Retriever Club
Linda Atwell
6516 Esther, NE
Albuqureque, NM 87109
505-821-9471

Triad Golden Retriever Club of Central North Carolina
Lynn Brogan
6709 West Friendly Ave.
Greensboro, NC 27410
919-292-9365

Golden Bond Rescue
7500 Spring Valley Road NW
Salem, OR 97304-9750
503-362-2198

Yankee Golden Retriever Rescue, Inc.
P.O. Box 104
North Reading, MA 01864
508-975-4091 (serves New England)

Norcal Golden Retriever Rescue
510-262-0597
This is an answering machine with numbers for foster homes
holding Golden's in Northern California.

Golden Retriever Club of Canada
Cathy Leonard, President
P.O. Box 20073 Beverley Postal Outlet
Edmonton, AB T5W 5E6
(403) 436-2537

|| Golden Re-Triever Inc.
|| Judy Laureano
|| NJ
|| 201-697-3258

Tricia Robson
301-442-2213 (MD)

Mary Jane Shervais
703-791-5708

Pat Coats
313-588-5874 (MI)

Golden Retriever Club of Greater Los Angeles
Margo Smith
2112 East Oakdale Street
Pasadena, CA 91107
818-449-4262

Golden Retriever Rescue and Placement Program
Laura Culp
Raleigh, NC
919-469-8563 (leave message)

Golden Retriever Club of Greater Toledo
Linda Copti
1023 Keeler St.
Maumee, OH 43537
419-893-9833

West Central Ohio Golden Retriever Rescue
Pam Campbell
P.O. Box 283
Enon, OH 45323
(513) 323-7566

Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue
610-678-4981 (Philly, PA area)

The Golden Retriever Club of Greater Los Angles, Inc.
Nancy Talbott
5050 West Avenue L
Quartz Hills, CA 93563
805-943-2731

baylist: Steve Southard
408-723-3348

Lisa Blasco
312-665-9712

Golden Rescue, serving the Golden Retriever
6021 Yonge St. Box 1015
North York, ON M2M 3W2
416-883-4093

Golden Retriever Rescue, Education, and Training, Inc.
P.O. Box 2070
Ellicott City, MD 21043

Golden Retriever Rescue Club of Charlotte NC
704-573-1055 or 704-846-4165
(leave message)

|| Renee Warshauer
|| 516-933-1912

|| Donna & Jeff Sievers
|| 516-727-6306

|| Greater Houston Golden Retriever Club
|| Houston, TX
|| (713) 855-6044

Gordon Setter

The Gordon Setter Club of America Rescue Committee
(also, Miami Valley Gordon Setter Club)
Crystal Todor, chair
47 Taylor Blair Road
West Jefferson, OH 43162
614-879-8405

Sun Country Gordon Setter Club
Gary Andersen
6250 E. Pershing
Scottsdale, AZ 85254
602-991-7485

Golden Gate Gordon Setter Club
Nancy Thompson
8577 Stratus Drive
Orangevale, CA 95662
916-989-1633

Southern California Gordon Setter Fanciers
Peri Norman
2780-6 Tapo Canyon #112
Simi Valley, CA 93073
805-579-0438

High Plains Gordon Setter Club
Lynn Fruchey DVM
1428 Dayton Ave.
Aurora, CO 80010
303-343-7022

The Gordon Setter Club of Hawaii
Gretchen Cobeen
Honolulu, HI
808-523-8181

The Gordon Highlanders
Nancy Zak
1N521 Prince Crossing
West Chicago, IL 60185
708-231-8826

Tartan Gordon Setter Club
Natalie Haberman
42 Edmunds Rd.
Wellesly, MA 02181
617-237-3127
or
Wendy Abelman
Sharon, MA
617-784-8806

Gordon Setter Club of Michigan
Sally Walker
1665 Madsen Lane
Ortonville, MI 48462
313-627-2778

North Country Gordon Setter Club
Richard & Sandra Ohlgren
1 Swallow Ln.
North Oaks, MN 55127
612-486-7449

Midwest Gordon Setter Rescue
Gloria Suntrup
1121 Mexico Rd.
Wenzville, MO 63385 (MO & surrounding areas)
314-332-3394

Magnolia Gordon Setter Club
Beth Beatty
PO Box 44
Pinnacle, NC 27043
910-351-4815

Brandywine Gordon Setter Club
Anne Pickrell
75 Psier Drive
South Orange, NJ 07079
201-763-5392

New Mexico Gordonites
Susan Coffey
1421 Wilmore Dr. Se
Albuquerque, NM 87106
505-842-9489

Paumanauk Gordon Setter Club
Frances Glynn
214-Fourth Ave.
Holtsville, NY 11742
516-289-2671

Cindy Long
RR1 Box 7
Bromlow Rd.
Waller, TX 77484
409-931-1814

Columbia River Gordon Setter Club
Nadeen Gilmartin
20600 NE 878th ave.
Battle Grand, WA 98604
206-576-0736

Puget Sound Gordon Setter Club
Lynn Serack
General Delivery
Preston WA 98050
206-888-0693

Badgerland Gordon Setter Club
Marte Wetzel
4859 Marrick Ct.
Cottage Grove, WI 53527
608-839-4261

Blue Ridge Gordon Setter Club
Debbie Fincham
Rt. 1, Box 21
Rapidan, VA 22733
703-672-4230

Great Dane

Great Dane Rescue of Northern California
Betty and Bill Thomas, Colleen Leahy Spears
15255Clydelle Ave.
San Jose, CA 95124
408-277-6851
408-267-0788

Heidi Hoover
215-375-7865
Pennsylvania

Pat Gorney
313-631-4018 (MI)

Great Dane Rescue/Malabar Danes
P.O Box 382
Malabar, FL 32950
Georgia Randall
407-724-6712
or
Pat Page
407-729-8880

Great Dane Club Mid-South
Darcy Quinlan
5363 Franklin Goldmine
Cummings, GA 30130
404-887-4417

Janice Tetrault
518-279-1417
Albany, NY

Lee Ann Cogdill
716-792-9929
Brockton, NY

Great Dane Club of America
Marie A. Fint
442 Country View Lane
Garland, TX 75043
214-279-1016

Pookie Kostuk, chairman
P.O. Box 2015
Cheshire, Conn. 06410
203-272-8292

Great Dane Club of California
Florence Treseder
8660 Telfair
Sun Valley, CA 90352
818-767-0757

Great Dane of El Paso
Esther Scoggins
6643 Westside Dr.
El Paso, TX 79932
915-877-2042

Great Dane Club of Greater Houston
Georgia Thomas
14123 Panhandle
Sugar Land, TX 77478
713-491-7625

Great Dane Club of Greater Kansas City
Glenda Burns
6321 Woodward
Shawnee Mission, KS 66202
913-432-2518

Great Dane Club of Maryland
Helen Baker
P.O. Box 21037
Baltimore, MD 21228
301-747-5974

Great Dane Club of Mid-Florida
Kevin Kavanaugh
8800 Erie Lane
Parrish, FL 34219
813-776-1094

Great Dane Club of New England
Arlyne Koopmann
c/o 52 East St.
Hanover, MA 02339
617-784-9093

Great Dane Club of San Diego
Milan Bayan
3221 Vista Cielo Lane
Spring Valley, CA 92078
619-669-1507

Great Dane Fanciers of Greater Anchorage
Toni Tadolini
3301 Cottle Loop Rd.
Wasilla, AK 99687
907-376-3915

Greater Cincinnati Great Dane Club
Donna Wright
18057 Laurel Rd. Connersville, IN 47331
317-698-3869

The Great Dane Club of Las Vegas
Mel Covert
6129 Edgewood Cr.
Las Vegas, NV 89107
702-878-2970

Willamette Valley Great Dane Club
Rhea Pearsall
5694 Keene Rd. NE
Gervais, OR 97026
503-792-3283

Gloria Barrick
11127 Plainview Rd.
Golden, CO 80403
303-642-3154

Gisele Sherwood
2652 Frontier Lane
Franktown, CO 80116
303-688-8692

Great Dane Rescue Service of New England
Arlyne Koopmann
617-784-9093

Jean MacKenzie
401-942-2094
Rhode Island

Bob & Christine Glavin
508-824-1329 (MA)

Great Dane Rescue
Mid-Atlantic Region
703-938-9332 (northern VA)

baylist: Colleen Leahy
1087 Hazelwood Ave.
San Jose, CA 95115

Great Pyrenees
Michele Brown
313-598-9407 (MI)

Great Pyrenees Club of Metro Milwaukee
Laura Johnston
300 Upland Ct.
Colgate, WI 53017
414-628-2947

Great Pyrenees Club of America
Catherine de la Cruz
4445 B Old Gravenstein, Hwy S.
Sabastopol, CA 95472
707-829-1655
AOL: Cdlcpyrs
Internet: Cdlc...@aol.com
-or- je...@freya.sunnyvale.ca.us

Alamo Great Pyrenees Club
Jean Cave
Box 493 FM 875 West
Midlothian, TX 76065
214-299-2202

Columbia-Cascade Great Pyrenees Club
Lee Trowbridge
Rt. 1, Box 236ff
La Center, WA 98629
206-263-4740

Grand Canyon State Great Pyrenees Club
Mickey Chaney
250 Arabian Dr.
Sedona, AZ 86336
602-284-2230

GPA of So. California
Dottie Sisco
18122 Rancho Ave.
Raustra Devore, CA 92407
714-985-3866

Great Pyrenees Club of California
Jeanne Yturbide
2064 Jackson St.
San Francisco, CA 94109
415-922-4378

Great Pyrenees Club of Greater Chicago
Amy Zacher
135 Fairview Lane
Steamwood, IL 60107
708-289-2842 (private phone)

Great Pyrenees Club of Greater Pittsburg
Carolyn Mohr
16473 Rock Creek Rd.
Thompson, OH 44086
216-298-3489

Great Pyrenees Club of Iowa
Carol Adamson
1845 175th Ave. N.E.
Foley, MN 56329
612-662-2464

Great Pyrenees Club of Metro, Detroit
Michele Brown
19614 Elizabeth
St. Clair Shrs, MI 48080
313-722-9150

Great Pyrenees Club of Metro, Milwaukee
Judy Brown
3360 Jackson Dr.
Jackson, WI 53037
414-677-2894

Heart of Ohio Great Pyrenees Club
Pat Wallace
301 21st St. N.W.
Canton, OH 44709
216-456-8496

Mile High Great Pyrenees Club
Carolyn Ferguson
Rt. 1 17925 CR 69
Fleming, CO 80728
303-265-3863

National Capital Area Great Pyrenees Club
Janet Ingram
204 Wild Partridge Lane
Radford, VA 24141
703-731-0229

Orange Coast Great Pyrenees Fanciers
Carol Riley
5786 Jeffries Ranch Rd.
Oceanside, CA 92056
619-945-8962

Penn-Dutch Great Pyrenees Club
Maureen Maxwell-Simon
7430 Jonestown Rd.
Harrisburg, PA 17112
717-545-4477

Puget Sound Great Pyrenees Club
Linda Welsser
3449 Gull Harbor Rd. N.E.
Olympia, WA 98506
206-357-9478

Pyrenean Fanciers of the Northeast
Flo Laicher
RD 12, Dixon Rd.
Carmel, NY 10512
914-225-2754

Westcoast GPA of Canada
Sharon Armstrong
9400 Beckwith Rd.
Richmond, BC
Canada V6X 1V9
604-278-1494

Great Pyrenees Club, Ontario Central Region
Carol Graham or Norma Egginton
Prestonfield Farm RR 5
Rockwood, ON NOB 2KO
519-853-3005 or 519-856-9267 (between 9am - 9pm)

Great Pyrenees Rescue Service
Sue Perkins
207-666-8816
Maine

Fran Spier
207-582-7331
Maine

Bo and Margaret Riley
508-851-5090
(referral only) (MA)

Evelyn Nagle
603-924-7472
New Hampshire

Great Pyr. Rescue
Randi Smith
207-829-3344
Maine

-------------This is the end of Part 1 ----------------
*Copyright (c) 1993 by Michael George Buening. Please distribute this
document freely providing you keep this copyright intact. This document
may not be sold for profit nor incorporated into commercial documents
without the express permission of the author. This document is provided
"as is".

[Janice Ritter]

Archive-name: dogs-faq/rescue/part2

Version: 2.6
Last-modified: Jan, 1995
Current-edition-released: Feb 17, 1995

This is the Breed Rescue Organizations FAQ Part 2 of 2. It will be posted

on a regular basis and/or you can obtain the file via anonymous ftp at
rtfm.mit.edu under

/pub/usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/rescue/part2. Or send email to

mail-...@rtfm.mit.edu with
send /usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/rescue/part1
send /usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/rescue/part2
in the body of the message leaving the subject line blank.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Rescue FAQ file 2 includes: Greyhounds to Yorkshire Terriers.
(All-breed or other specialty/area group rescues are listed at the end of
this file.)

Greyhound - see also Italian Greyhound
Greyhound Club of America
Cheryl Reynolds
4280 Carpenteria Avenue
Carpenteria, CA 93013
805-684-4914

National Greyhound Network
415-851-7812
(will refer to the independent adoption group nearest you)

Greyhound Pets of America (GPA)
1-800-FON-1GPA (toll free, of course)
(366-1472)
National referral number. Call and leave a message on the
answering machine, and a member of a local GPA chapter will
contact you.

Greyhound Pets of America/Mass
Middleboro, MA
617-447-4866, 617-472-4055, 508-947-3654

Greyhound Pets of America/Mass-North Shore
Winchester, MA
617-729-2577
and
|| GPA/Central NH Placement
|| Anna Arsenault
|| 603-742-8871

Greyhound Adoption of Western Mass
Longmeadow, MA
413-567-9022

Greyhound Adoption Service
Salisbury, MA
508-462-7973

|| Greyhound Rescue of Vermont
|| Sharon Bucklin
|| 802-878-4844 (VT)

|| Save The Greyhound Dogs
|| Ms. Scottie Devens
|| 802-879-8838 (VT)

|| Adopt-A-Greyhound
|| MarieAnn Stanton
|| 603-942-7789 (NH)

|| Greyhounds Homeward Bound
|| Route 1, Box 6056a
|| Springtown, Texas 76082
|| 817-748-2020

Retired Racers - Greyhound Rescue and Adoption
Linda Brown
6027 Valley Sage Road
Acton, CA 93510
(805) 269-2544
(818) 347-3407

USA Dog
Sally Allen, President
P.O. Box 1256
Carmel, IN 46032
317-244-0113 or 317-867-1704

Friends for Life
Susan Netboy
5 Ranch Road
Woodside, CA 94062
415-851-7812

Greyhounds as Pets
Bill Fullerton
P.O. Box 6999
Colorado Springs, CO 80934
719-633-0171

Fort Myers Greyhound Adoption Center
Donna Forster
11511 Deal Road N.
Fort Myers, FL 33905
813-731-3187

Greyhound Rescue, Inc.
Susan Greenwald
118-B Jordan Court, N.E.
Palm Bay, FL 32905
407-951-2452
-and-
John Davis
6397 Woodburn Rd.
Elk Ridge, MD 21227
410-796-2803

Easthaven Animal Hospital
2140 S. Huron Parkway
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
313-971-3444

RGA, Inc
RD #7 Box 317
Newcastle, PA 16102
412-667-0886

Maryland Chapter of GPA
Betty Rosen
11404 Lhasa Lane
Lutherville, MD 21093
410-252-7555

Greyhound Racers Recycled
Jan Huey
Box 270107
Houston, TX 77277-0107
713-665-3366

Greyhounds Unlimited
P.O Box 362
Fort Worth, TX 76101-0362
(817) 924-5956
(Dedicated mostly to greyhounds; do place some sighthounds)

Greyhound Rescue and Adoption
LaDonna Rea
PO Box 461
Plainfield, IN 46168-461
317-745-7772
-and-
Linn Murphy
PO Box 218205
Columbus, OH 43221-8205
614-777-4160
-and-
Beverly Thompson
116 Mary Street
Washington, IL 61571
309-745-5377

Greyhound Rescue League
Paula Johnson
106 Cayman Lane
Summerland Keys, FL 33042
305-872-2749
-and-
Cinda Crawford
PO Box 13314
Tallahassee, FL 32317
904-878-1204

Make Peace with Animals, Inc.
Cynthia Branigan
PO Box 488
New Hope, PA 18938
215-862-0605

Michigan Greyhound Connection
Susan Riegel
797 River Bend Dr.
Rochester Hills, MI 48307
313-652-6270

National Greyhound Adoption Program
David Wolfe
8301 Torresdale Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19136
800-348-2517 or 215-331-7918

Northern California Sighthound Rescue
Sandra Wornum
570 Riviera Cir.
Larkspur, CA 94939
415-924-7020

Operation Greyhound
Bruna Palmatier
8876 Shaula Way
San Diego, CA 92126
619-695-9488

Oregon Greyhound Rescue
Elizabeth Bordeaux
2207 NE 79th Ave.
Portland, OR 97213
503-257-7220

Second Chance for Greyhounds
Helen Banks
10826 Dean Street
Bonita Springs, FL 33923
813-947-2365

Tampa Greyhound Adoption Center
Kim Wyler
5629 E. Chelsea Street
Tampa, FL 33610
813-626-1116
Claire Bertine
1000 Reo St. John Drive
Jacksonville, FL 32211
904-743-6627

THE PROTECTION PROJECT, INC.
261 Robbins Street
Milton, MA 02186
(617) 333-4982
(617) 527-8843

Shirley Kuzmicz
Indiana
219-234-0880

Diane Gamble, Ohio/Kentucky
606-261-2879
and
Sharon Murphy
606-371-5493

Nancy Wallace
IL
312-561-8324

Richard Benjamin
PO Box 397
Beach Island, SC 29842
803-827-0918

Nina Bloom-Selling
4335 E. Carol Ann Lane
Phoenix, Arizona 85032
602-493-9144

Pat Lewallen
R.R. 4, Box 232W
Paola, KS 66071
913-294-3023

Diane Lunthacum
Rt. 2, Box 185 C
Thomasville, GA 31742
412-226-7632

Cathy McIntyre
15 Pickering CT #01
Germantowne, MD 20874
301-540-4980 (area code might now be 410)

Vickey Price
Columbia, SC
803-256-6939 (work)
803-782-0863 (home)

Candy Schultz
Greyhound Pet Connection
Woodstock, IL 60098
815-477-4900 (work)
815-568-8403 (home)

Catherine Settle
PO Box 2157
Sanford, NC 27330
919-775-7945

Ellen Stokal
PO Box 7044
Villa Park, IL 60181
708-495-0074

Cheryly Vincent
3671 Woodhaven Circle
Hamburg, NY 14075
716-648-8106

Linda Zent
5779 Boxwood Drive
Boseman, MT 59715
406-586-8705

Greyhound Racing Federation Of Canada
Linda M. Reidt
R.R. #1
Baltimore, ON K0K 1C0
(416) 342-3391
REM: retired racing greyhounds placement

Sue Riegle
313-652-6270

Greyhound Club of Northern California
Marjorie Leider
1091 Batavia Ave.
Livermore, CA 94550
415-447-4502

Jane Klorer
617-729-2577 (MA)

Millie Merritt
617-472-4055 (MA)

Susan Gallotti
508-667-1251 (MA)

Greyhound Placement Service
603-474-5965 (NH)
603-942-7789 (NH)
508-462-7973 (MA)

baylist: 415-851-7812

Greyhound Friends, Inc.
Louise Coleman, Director
167 Saddle Hill Road
Hopkinton, MA 01748
508-435-5969

GREYHOUND FRIENDS, INC.
Lisa St. Pierre (413) 528-5548
R.D. 3, Box 121A1
Great Barrington, MA 01230

GREYHOUND FRIENDS, INC.
Mary Allen (518) 329-1595
Main Street
Copake, NY 12516

GREYHOUND FRIENDS, INC.
Gayle Blakesley (518) 674-5545
Albany, NY area

Greyhound Life Line
Irene Milbury
228 E. Foxboro Street
Sharon, MA 02067
617-784-2157

National Greyhound Adoption Program
215-331-7918
1-800-348-2517

Greyhound Pets of America: Canadian Chapter
Jane Longmore
RR 3 Appin, ON
NOL 1AO
Canada
|| 519-289-2426 (10:00 am - 5:00 pm Eastern Time)
or
|| Linda Reidt
|| RR 1
|| Baltimore, ON
|| K0K 1C0
|| Canada
|| 905-342-3391

Greyound Rescue Society
5325 Pearl Street
RR1
L/Oricnd, Ontario
Canada
613-678-3626

The Greyhound Connection
Adreinne Reid
49 Plymouth Avenue
St. Catharines Ontario,
Canada
905-984-6369

Greyhound Club of Canada
|| Christina DePierre
|| 263 1st Ave
|| Ste-Anne-des-Plaines, PQ
|| JON 1HO
Canada
613-678-3626

Havowarts
Beth Lynch (Sec'ty of Havowart Club of America)
2322 Sawdust Road
Vienna, VA 22181
(410) 326-3832 (any day after 1 PM EST)

T. Ulf Westblom
email west...@sluvca.slu.edu
(for referral and breed info)

Husky -see Siberian Husky

Ibizan Hound
The Ibizan Hound Club of the United States
John O'Malley
806-746-5521 (TX)
also listed:
Rose Bednarski
2318 S. 15th Pl.
Milwaukee, WI 53215
414-634-9251

Robbie Vanderpool
6566 Ridgeview Circle
Dallas, TX 75240
214-385-2240

Karen Mele
615-653-4414
Tennessee

Manette Ward
818-881-4368
California

|| Linda
|| 705 Logan
|| Helena, MT 59601
|| (406)443-1380
|| email: run...@aol.com

baylist: 916-487-9979

Irish Setter

Irish Setter Club of America Rescue
and Irish Setter Club of the Pacific
Marilee Larson
San Leandro, CA
(there are 2 diff. numbers listed)
510-351-2966
415-351-2966

Irish Setter Club of New England
Nancy Conner
Montague, MA 01351
nco...@ocis.umass.edu (email adress)
413-367-2182 (evenings/wkends )
413-545-1955 (weekdays, 9-5, urgent messages only, please)

President of Irish Setter Club New England 93-94
Anne Looney
Feeding Hills, Mass.
413-786-1719

Irish Setter Club of Central Conn.
Darlene Ferris
28 Point Beach Dr.
Milford, CT 06460
203-877-2431 and Nancy Conner (see her info above)
and
Phyllis Wier and Kate Seymour
Fairfield, CT Brookfield Center, CT
203-259-7542 203-775-9260
and
Lorrie Wolk and Kathie Murphy
East Hartford, CT Newington, CT
203-568-4873 203-666-3485

Jan Ziech
Minooka, IL
815-475-7143, evenings only

Claire Marx
Windham, ME
207-892-3118

Irish Setter Club of Michigan
Negen O'Rukenbrod
5188 Winchester Pass
Lapeer, MI 48446
313-664-2548

Lee Robinson
Mason, NH
603-878-1923

Beth Michaud & Bob Ritchie
Merrimack, New Hampshire 03054
603-424-5436

Eastern Irish Setter Association
Evelyn Kearon
RD 2, Box 293A
Branchville, NJ 07826
201-948-4921

Irish Setter Club of Western New York
Robin Willey
Walworth, NY
315-986-3699

Irish Setter Club of Ohio
Nonda Jones
7578 River Rd.
Olmsted Falls, OH 44138
216-235-4197

Sharon Miller
PA
717-382-4086

Eastern Irish Setter Association, Inc.
Marge Lippman
201-962-4173

(was 1993 Eastern Irish Setter Assoc. pres.)
Fran Sloughfy
Blairstown, NJ
908-362-5464

Anna Jones
Berkeley Heights, NJ
908-464-5720

Lois Goepfert
Hanson, MA
617-293-5538

Irish Setter Rescue
Anne Schilling
Sun Prairie, WI
608-837-4696
a...@badger.adp.wisc.edu
and
Margie Hohman
Hortonville, WI
414-734-6734

Lynn Hayes
Putney, Vermont
802-254-4236

Susan Watson
Spencer, Mass.
508-885-9895

Irish Setter Club of Ontario
Mrs. Constance O'Brien
R.R. #4 2418 South River Road
Kemptville, ON K0G 1J0
(613) 258-7765

baylist: 415-351-2966

Irish Terrier
Irish Terrier Club of America
Mary O'Brien
510-521-3246
California

Irish Terrier Club of Northern California
Diana Martin
189 San Luis Rd.
Sonoma, CA 95476
707-938-4698

Irish Terrier Club of Southern California
Nan Bruner
13431 Winthrope St.
Santa Ana, CA 92705
714-633-5156

Peggy Gill
508-369-3006

Irish Water Spaniel
Irish Water Spaniel Club of America
Carolyn Lathrop, chairperson
125 Polk Street
Cumberland, MD 21502
301-724-9162
and
Elizabeth B. Peterson
5130 Kerfing Place
Winston-Salem, NC 27106
919-922-3934

Norma Heiny
RR 9, Box 97
Bridgeton, NJ 08302
609-451-7480

Nona and Harlan Noel
1835 Lakeshore Drive
Michigan City, IN 46360
219-872-0775

Nancy Wiley
3150 Paradise Drive
Tiburon, CA 94920
415-461-7533
Florence Blecher
3310 Adina Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90068
213-874-0944

Irish Wolfhound
Sharon Yaskulski
219-534-2086

Irish Wolfhound Club of Puget Sound
Beverly Little
16252 Tiger Mountain Rd.
Issaquah, WA 98027
206-392-7241

Irish Wolfhound Rescue Trust
Pat Huntley
16513 Napa Street
Sepulveda, CA 91343
818-894-8988

Potomac Valley Irish Wolfhound Club
Herb Savage
Rte. 1, Box 711-D
Accokeek, MD 20607
301-283-4474

I have 2 listings for Marcia Frankel - not sure which is
the most current listing:

Irish Wolfhound Association of New England
Marcia Frankel
413-458-3269
Western Massachusetts
and
Irish Wolfhound Club of America
Marcia Frankel
203-868-1955 (CT)

Irish Wolfhound Association of the Delaware Valley
Mrs. Frances Hall
Box 43, R.R. 1
Low's Hollow Rd.
Stewartsville, NJ 08886
201-859-3957

baylist: 818-894-8988

Italian Greyhound
Italian Greyhound Club of America
Lynn K. Poston
909-829-7-4744 (CA)
(and an older listing)
Leslie Parsons
925 Canton St. NW
Palm Bay, FL 32907
407-724-9170

June Mastrocola
W137 N9332 HY 145
Menomonee Falls, WI 53051
414-251-8347

Ray Filburn
508-927-7309

Cathie Wilt
207-594-8492
Maine

Jack Russel Terrier
JRTCA Russel Rescue
c/o Catherine Brown
4757 Lakeville Road
Geneseo, NY 14454
716-243-0929

Jennifer Carr
508-676-1061 (work) (MA) (I'm afraid one of these
401-737-1041 (home) numbers is incorrect...)

Jack Russell Terrier Club of Canada
Russell Rescue
Marla & Wayne Robinson
(519) 837-2921 (Ontario)

Japanese Chin (Spaniel)

Japanese Chin Club of America
Lucien Collins, Secretary
(408) 730-2212
and
Gail Hink
815-393-3020 (IL)
and
Japanese Chin Care
Jean Bebensee
(407) 582-3859 (FL)

Betty Dickey
517-792-6275

Malcolm Barr
703-354-0199
Virginia

Japanese Shiba Inu

Northeast Shiba Rescue
203-569-3823

Mary Malone
216-823-2388
Ohio

Keeshond

Keeshond Club of America
Carole Henry
919-742-7479 (NC)

Joan Czarnyszka
Arizona (602) 249-2775

Donna Lundeen
Northern CA (916) 885-0812

Penny Mansur
Northern CA 933-4660

Nor-Cal Keeshond Club, Inc.
430 Bay Rd.
Menlo Park, CA 94025
415-322-2246

Jane Norton
Northern CA (916) 753-3244

Wayne Peters
Northern CA (415) 322-2246

Libby McGreevy
San Bruno, CA (northern CA)
415-952-1765
li...@ucsfvm.ucsf.edu

Carol and Dennis Mollberg
Southern CA (909) 780-2514

Peak to Peak Keeshond Rescue
Sue Riegel
1878 Old Highway #52
Erie, CO 80516

baylist: 415-322-2246

Peak to Peak Keeshond Fanciers
Carol Schwenk
220 Cypress Circle
Broomfield, CO 80020
303-469-4181

Mike Faass
Georgia (404) 463-0906

Harold and Patti Brizee
Idaho (208) 362-0346

Rodger McDowall (708) 775-9234 (IL)

Keeshond Fanciers of the Central States
Rescue Committee
Dina Zinnes
Champaign IL
217-398-2241

Pat Williams
Indiana (317) 662-3204

Peggy Willoughby
Indiana (812) 858-9545

Pepper Guzman
Maryland (301) 421-4466

Connie Miller
Maryland 301-464-3976

Donna Stekli
301-293-9556 (MD)

Maryellen Grace and Irene Fonseca
Mass. 508-222-3300

John and Joan Malak
313-279-1982 (MI)

Pat Tocalis
517-676-6757 (MI)

Nancy and Fred Dietze
612-459-5474 (MN)

Connie Davis
816-727-3536 (MO)

Pat Westfall
406-228-2758 (MT)

Linda Moss
919-965-9230 (NC)

Sharon & Darrell Buethner
702-232-0474 (ND)

Sandy and Herbie Bell
505-662-7715 (NM)

Robbie Montoya
505-471-0456 (NM)

Barbara Jean Wilson
505-662-9544 (NM)

Keeshond Club of Greater Oklahoma City
Tommie Howard
4015 S. Dobbs
Harrah, OK 73045
405-271-3922
405-391-4738

Greater Houston Keeshond Club
Michelle McCluskey, rescue contact
713-869-8229, ext. 11 (TX)

Pacific Crest Keeshond Club
Pat Shuler
1520 NE 106th
Seattle, WA 98125
206-362-6727

Kerry Blue Terrier

United States Kerry Blue Terrier Club
Joanne K. Schlindler, chair
12056 Cedar Creek
Cincinnati, OH 45240
513-742-3745

Empire Kerry Blue Terrier Club Gwen Resk
645 Pine Brook Blvd.
New Rochelle, NY 10804
914-235-8555

Greater Boston Kerry Blue Terrier Club
Rhoda Bergman (N.E. Mass)
Off Cross Rd.
Lunenberg, MA 01462
508-342-5044
or
Brian Lowney (S.E. Mass and R.I.)
1307 Gardners Neck Rd.
South Swansea, MA 02777
508-672-6086

Kerry Blue Terrier Club of Southern CA
Janet Joers
805-688-2478
or
Lisa Frankland
805-734-1280

Kerry Blue Terrier Club of Northern CA
Diane Lee
410-439-7476

Kerry Blue Terrier Club of Canada
Rescue & Relocation
Daryl Enstone
P.O.Box 72
Station "Q"
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M4T 2L7
tel: 519-746-3039
fax: 519-746-6741
Internet e-mail: dens...@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca

Western Canada Kerry Blue Terrier Club
Lee Templeton, Sec.
604-325-3157 (Vancouver, BC)

King Charles Spaniel -see Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, English Toy Spaniel

Komondor

National Komondor Rescue Network
Betty O'Donnell
207-283-3528 (ME)

Komondor Club of America
National Coordinator of Rescue & Adoption
Sandy Hanson
KCA Secretary
414-594-3374 (or 2505? Have 2 numbers...)

Komondor Rescue Committee, Komodor Club of America
Region IV (covers OK)
Director: Richard Heaney, P.O. Box 849, Magnolia, TX 77355
(713-356-4419)

Komondor Rescue
Kim Misciagna,
29 Jumping Frog Ct, St. Charles, MO 63303
(314-925-0173)
(handles MO and bordering states)

Pat Randall
512-288-2091 (TX)

Middle Atlantic States Komondor Club
Stewart L. Wells
102 North Church
Snow Hill, MD 21863
301-632-2180

Joy Levy
609-924-0199
New Jersey

Ruth/Ken Todd
516-379-8286
New York

Kuvasz
American Kuvaz Association
Dan Wasson
6261 Penrod
Detroit, MI 48228
(313) 271-5438 or
904-755-1196 (FL) (this may be older)

|| Kuvasz Club of America
|| Pam Jenni
|| Rt. 1 Box 157
|| Catoosa, OK 74015-9600
|| (918) 266-6773
and
Aino Andres
NY
914-664-8104
and
|| Nancy Schefcick
|| MI
|| 313-271-5438
and
Mayling Koval
NY
914-221-2066

Kuvasz Fanciers of America.
Gail Dash, Rescue Chair
818-366-533

|| Mary Brownell
|| VT
|| 802-442-8693

Labrador Retriever

National Labrador Retriever Club
Rescue Coordinator
Virginia Campbell
408-476-0759 (Soquel, CA) (Can help refer you to local groups)
Is creating a database of all local Lab Rescue groups.
Please send any info on local groups.

Golden Gate Labrador Retriever Club (CA)
415-361-0261 - call for referrals to local groups
San Francisco Bay area.

Labrador Retriever Rescue Hotline
Central Connecticut
(anybody know the number?)

Labrador Retriever Club of Central Connecticut
Julie Starkweather
203-426-0770 (CT)

Labrador Retriever Club of the Potomac
Lab Rescue, Inc.
President, Give-up
Jackie Mischou
301-253-5380 (MD)
or
Adoptions, Maryland
Catherine Lewis
301-208-8071
or
Adoptions Chair, VA
Cathy Klecz
703-368-3219

Labrador Retriever Club of the Pioneer Valley
Lois Engel
55 Rural Road
Belchertown, MA 01007
413-323-4822
413-323-7672

Labrador Retriever Club of Greater Boston
Labrador Retriever Rescue, Inc.
c/o Jill Silverman
504 Essex St.
South Hamilton, MA 01982
508-369-8736

Doris Aylward
603-642-8686
New Hampshire

Sue Willumsen
603-837-5719
New Hampshire

Labrador Retriever Rescue of PA
Pam Heidorn
215-822-8589
Chalfont, PA
Mary Pat Meirs
215-953-0147
Feasterville, PA
Eileen Melair
215-343-7929
Warrington, PA
Pat Henning
215-489-0710 (after 7pm)
Collegeville, PA

Sharon Phelts
517-651-2080 (MI)

Central Ohio Labrador Retriever Club
contact: Kim Toms
614-873-1778 (central Ohio)

baylist: 415-592-8394 (Lizalee says this is Lorrie Bellows)
916-752-1393

Winnebago Labrador Retriever Club & Rescue
Covers WI, N. Ill., and N. Ind. and Iowa
Peg Schneumann
(708)587-0929
(Northen IL)
- or -
Sharon Grieves
Rt 3, 6128 Emerson Rd
Beloit WI 53511
(608)879-9095
- or -
Deb Forest
715-659-5507 (IL)
- or -
Kent and Deb Hamele
608-273-0172
kaha...@facstaff.wisc.edu (WI)
- or -
Peg Stevens
Ripon, WI
414-748-3989

Lab Rescue
301-253-5820 (MD)

Marta
301-831-0391 (evenings, before 10:00 pm)

|| Lab Rescue
|| VA
|| 301-299-6756

|| Labrador Retriever Club of Canada
|| Diane Smith, Sec.
|| 7078 Mark Lane
|| PO Box 69, RR 5
|| Victoria, BC
|| V8X 4M6
|| Canada
|| 604-652-0180

All of these are in CA:
|| Mike Moore
|| 510-937-5836

|| Paul & Anne Gamlin
|| 415-592-839

|| Peggy Hickox
|| 415-334-4717

Lakeland Terrier
United States Lakeland Terrier Club
Harold Tatro, III
804 Quail Run
Nassau Bay II
Granbury, TX 76048
817-326-5525
and
Sandra Beatson
404-513-7431 (GA)

Lhasa Apso
San Diego County Lhasa Apso Club
Willima and Shirley Benedict
11202 Promesa Drive
San Diego, CA 92124
619-278-2484

Lowchen
Gini Denninger
315-524-8022
New York

Malamute -see Alaskan Malamute

Maltese
Evergreen Maltese Club
Berverly Passe
6015 Rosedale St. NW
Gig Harbor, WA 98335
206-858-9266

Kim Catizone
603-883-8240
New Hampshire

baylist: Janie Pack
967 Camellia Way
San Jose, CA 95117

Manchester Terriers

American Manchester Terrier Club
Patricia Hall
215-957-0109
PA

Evergreen Empire Manchester Terrier Fanciers
Mauriel Hankel
4961 NE 193rd St.
Seattle, WA 98155
206-365-0445

Mastiff -see also Neapolitan Mastiff, Tibetan Mastiff
Mastiff Club of America Rescue Service
Phyllis Miller
P.O. Box 1670
La Jolla, CA 92037
619-454-8984
or
Jim Hoobin
508-399-7315 (MA)

Lucinda
414-822-8785

Mastiff Club of America
Mary-Louise Owens
RD 1, Box 627
Phelps Street
Gloversville, NY 12078
518-661-6493

|| Mastiff rescue
|| David Einhorn
|| 208 Hobart Rd.
|| Hanover PA 17331-8105
|| email: dein...@isnov.ab.umd.edu

Miniature Pinscher
Minature Pinscher Club of America
Joyce K. Somero
313-398-0843
MI

Canadian Miniature Pinscher Club
Edris Matulock
6611 - 8th Ave.
Regina, SK S4T 7H3
(306) 949-6593

Namcy Johnson
703-297-7200

Joyce Sproule
508-378-9061

Miniature Schnauzer -see Schnauzer-Miniature

Neapolitan Mastiff -see also Mastiff, Tibetan Mastiff
Carol Paulsen
315-389-4028
New York

Newfoundland

Newfoundland Club of America
Mary L. Price
1004 Hwy. 78 South
Mt. Horeb, WI 53572
608-437-4553

National Newfoundland Club Rescue Comm.
Diana Thompson
1000 Griffith St.
Louisville, CO 80027-1424
303-666-6585

Newfoundland Club of New England
Ellen Katz
617-329-8157 (MA)

Linda Stierle
313-335-3871 (MI)

Newfoundland Dog Club of the Twin Cities
Nancy Robinson
8338 12th Ave. S.
Bloomington, MN 55420
612-854-6943
or Lory Cosgrove
410 Lakorta Lane
Chanhassen, MN 55318
612-496-3628

Newfoundland Rescue SE Region
Jackie Goertz
7905 Jenkins Ridge Ct.
Raleigh, NC 27613
919-782-8312
email: jgo...@cybernetics.net
and
Marilyn Whelpley
440 Habersham St.
Savannah, GA 31401
912-233-0838

Genesee Region Newf Club
Hannah Hayman
5451 Rathbun Road
Cazenovia, NY 13035

baylist: 415-364-7637

Rocky Mtn Newfoundland Club Rescue
Paul or Terry Cross
801-565-9879 (UT)

Norfolk Terrier and Norwich Terrier

Norwich and Norfolk Terriers Club of America
Susan M. Ely
908-766-5429 (NJ)

Norwich and Norfolk Terriers
Martha Seaman
313-647-1603

Norwich and Norfolk Terrier Club
Mrs. Lee Donaldson
121 Carolina Forest
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
919-929-3105

Mrs. Joseph Mattison
617-326-0950

Norwegian Elkhound

Norwegian Elkhound Associ. of America
Diane Coleman
419-749-4061 (OH)

Norwegian Elkhound Association of Northern California
Karen Allen
Northern California
415-591-8056 (after 7pm)

Norwegian Elkhound Breed Rescue
Southern CA
Judy DeClercq
714-774-8863
or
Scot Stockton
310-813-3148
sc...@mamacass.etdesg.trw.com OR
sc...@iceland.etdesg.trw.com

Norwegian Elkhound Club of Potomac Valley
Geri King
3028 Hewitt Ave., #238
Silver Spring, MD 20906
301-871-5487

Barbara Plant
508-636-5548 (MA)
(referrals only)

Marion Szymanski
508-747-2728 (MA)

baylist: 415-591-8056

Old English Sheepdog
Chicagoland Old English Sheepdog Club
Grace Fujikawa
381 Fairview Ave.
Winnetka, IL 60093
708-446-7381

Heather
313-338-8828 (MI)

|| Melisande
|| central PA
|| (814)237-0422

Old English Sheepdog Rescue
Lauri McCain
708 Whitney's Landing
Crownsville, MD 21032

Greater Pittsburg Old English Sheedog Club
Chris Gaburri
457 Orchard Ave.
Pittsburg, PA 15202
412-761-0493

Greater Portland Old English Sheepdog Club
Nancy Miller
1850 SW Filmont
Portland, OR 97225
503-646-6187

New England Old English Sheepdog Club
Annie Raker
Stonehendge
Lincoln, MA 01773
617-259-8173

Old English Sheepdog Fanciers of Central Arizona
Cheryl Kulzer
2112 N. Pennington Dr.
Chandler, AZ 85244
602-821-5727

Old English Sheepdog League of Northern California
Pam Henry
2491 Darla Dr.
Santa Rosa, CA 95401
707-579-1848

Madeline Ericson
716-293-2967
NY (Buffalo area)

Twin Colonies Old English Sheepdog Club of Norther NewJersey
Shelia Kenyon
4 Log Rd.
Morristown, NJ 07960
201-538-4129

Jack Wilhelm
206-771-7349
" Rescues & places large shaggy dogs, particularly
Old English Sheepdog mixes"

Otter Hound
Otterhound Club of America
Betsy Conway Rd1, Box 134A
Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
914-245-6354

Ellen Katz
617-329-8157

Russell Von der Linden
603-298-8432
New Hampshire

baylist: 415-851-4248

Papillon
Metropolitan Area Papillion Club of Washinton, DC
Margaret Quarts
3650 Mill Creek Dr.
Haymarket, VA 22069
703-754-2557

Papillon Club of America
Diana Fuchs
Rt. 7, Box 5310
Quincy, FL 32351
904-875-1422

Patriot Papillon Rescue Committee
508-339-5620
508-597-5382
508-948-2278 (MA)

Jackie & Ray Potocki
508-462-7607 home
508-462-6534 work (MA)

Jan Burger
508-948-2275 (MA)

|| Theresa Kaplan
|| 310-472-0011
|| CA

PBGV -see Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen

Pekingese

Pekingese Club of America
Louise Harden
410-255-2166
MD

Patty & Donald Hempel
408-377-7718 (CA)

Elizabeth Fielder
408-438-5756 (CA)

Jean and Don Thomas
415-342-7956 (CA)

HM Thomas
510-656-2461 (CA)

For Peke's Sake
301-589-1159
301-559-8744
301-869-6528 (MD)

Hope Burghardt
607-547-5207 (Cooperstown, NY)
703-456-8395 (Virginia)
* Hope may also be contacted for assistance with Toy
Poodles, Japanese Chins, Boston Pugs, Pomeranians, and
most Toy breeds.

Allison Chase
603-672-6049
New Hampshire

Margaret Reeves
508-771-8127
Mass.

Pembroke Welsh Corgi -see Welsh Corgi Pembroke

Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen

Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen Club of America
Millie Williams
616-379-0668 (MI)

Jennifer King
908-462-0340
New Jersey

Barbara Wicklund
908-281-6532 home
609-396-2904 work
New Jersey

Pharoah Hound

Pharoah Hound Club of America
Donald Delmore
510-521-3228
CA

Rita Sacks
914-687-9200 (NY)

Ellen DeWolf
508-867-7437 (MA)

baylist: 916-687-6696

Pointer
American Pointer Club
Rescue Chair
Joyce Blakely
151 Leigh Drive
Pikeville, NC 27863
(919) 242-3154

Erica Bandes
203-266-7883
Connecticut

Pomeranian

American Pomeranian Club
Brenda Segelken, rescue chair
618-965-3278 (IL)

Julie Moreno
415-583-4973 (CA)

Dolly Tavner
415-346-5314 (CA)

Metro Denver Pomeranian Rescue
Dave Weinstein (olo...@netcom.com)
303-321-9467 (work and home) (CO)

Cindy Boulware
6450 Rolling Heights Circle
Kaufman, TX 75142
214-932-3872

Hope Burghardt
607-547-5207 (Cooperstown, NY)
703-456-8395 (Virginia)
* Hope may also be contacted for assistance with Toy
Poodles, Japanese Chins, Boston Pugs, Pekanese, and
most Toy breeds.

Poodle

Poodle Club of America
Sally Kinne
214-235-7145 (TX)
or
Marjorie Hettrick
513-521-1530 (OH)

Poodle Club of Mass.
617-628-1425 (MA)

Sallie Perkins
Beverly Hills, CA
(try directory assistance)

Greater Pittsburg Poodle Club
Janice Gunn
412-486-2626 (PA)

Poodle Club of Southeast Michigan
Nancy Nastasi
41940 Quince Dr.
Novi, MI 48050
313-344-0181

Poodle Club of Tulsa
Mary Yeakey
2506 S. Cincinnati
Tulsa, OK 74114
918-582-0301

Sherry Wargo
517-795-2663 (MI)

Poodle Rescue Program
Poodle Club of Central California
Patricia Moulthrop, chair
815 Las Trampas Road
Lafayette, CA 94549
voice mail: 510-295-1070

Poodle Rescue
Linda
301-977-2873 (MD)
or
Joan
301-744-9711
(MD)

Esther-Mary Farrington
617-491-0210 (MA)

Fraya Katz
603-465-2774
Hollis, NH

baylist: Betty Janz (standard poodle)
15870 Turquise Pl.
Grass Valley, CA 95945

|| Theresa Kaplan
|| 310-472-0011
|| CA

Toy Poodle Rescue
Sandy Hartle
412-823-6459 (Pittsburgh, PA)

Portuguese Water Dog

Portuguese Water Dog Club of America
Mary Harkins
215-257-9570
|| Internet: 75327...@compuserve.com

Pug

Pug Dog Club of America
Ray and Pat Kolesar
715-424-7847 (WI)

Bluebonnet Pug Dog Club
Margaret Dunning
1107 Derbyshire Lane
Carrollton, TX 75007
214-242-6175

Central Indiana Pug Club
Donald Foral
3502 E. 39th St.
Indianapolis, IN 46205
317-546-7815

City of Angels Pug Club
Blanche Roberts
22963 Hatteras
Woodland Hills, CA 91367
818-703-5026

Columbine Pug Club of Denver, Colorado
Quaylene Frazier
12478 W. Bowler Dr.
Littleton, CO 80127
303-972-2558

Great Lakes Pug Club
Geraldine Woodrick
10839 S. Nagle Ave.
Worth, IL 60482
708-448-7819

Greater Atlanta Pug Dog Club
Teri Smith
Rt. 1, Box 76-3 Weems Rd.
Molena, GA 30258
404-648-6710
404-647-6622

Greater Milwaukee Pug Club
Barbara Nook
6820 N. Trenton Rd.
West Bend, WI 53095
414-338-6860

Mid Michigan Pug Club
Terry Smith
221 E. Scott St.
Grand Ledge, MI 48837
517-627-5916

Missouri Valley Pug Fanciers
Barbara Hull
Rt. 1, Box 31
Denton, NE 68339
402-475-6841
402-474-5331

Pug Club of South Florida
Pat Antle
208 Farmington Dr.
Plantation, FL 33317
305-587-0556

Pug Dog Club of Greater Cincinnati
Maryl Hodapp
1080 Hine Rd.
Hamilton, OH 45013
513-892-0014

Pug Dog Club of Greater New York
Ceilia Geary
50 Greenwich Ave., Apt. 5C
New York, NY 10011
212-929-6606
or Shirley Thomas
43-64 Bowne St.
Flushing, NY 11355
718-762-7508

Pug Dog Club of Greater San Antonio
Marilynn Ellis 4207 N. Halsey
Victoria, TX 77901
512-573-2556

Pug Club of Maryland
Billie Hitt
14249 Briarwood Terrace
Rockville, MD 20853
301-871-8063

Pug Dog Club of Northern California
Barry Clothier
3339 Irving St.
San Francisco, CA 94122
415-566-6009

Pug Rescue of New England
Doris Aldrich
17 Jones Rd.
Pelham, MA 01002
413-253-3066
or Fran Stuart
31 Pine St.
Peterborough, NH 03458
603-924-6026

Puget Sound Pug Dog Club
Carolyn McDuffie
832 SW 142nd St.
Seattle, WA 98166
206-241-0658

Tampa Bay Pug Club
Elizabeth Page
3965 Richy Rd.
Mims, FL 32754
407-269-0555

Betty Dickey
517-792-6275

Yankee Pug Dog Club
Debora Chamberland
183 Cedar St.
****can't tell the address*****

Pug Club of Canada Rescue Program
Jennifer Threndyle
25 Broadoaks Drive, Apt 206
Downsview, Ontario
M3J 1E3
1-416-635-6961

Dot Kelly
617-837-5719

baylist: 415-592-0732 or 408-252-0598

Puli
Puli Club of America
Betty Ostermeier
303-364-2836
Colorado

Rat Terrier
Holly Peterson
508-663-8093

Rhodesian Ridgeback

Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of the United States
National Rescue Chair
Dana Jefferson, Ph.D.
302-996-6480
or
Mrs. Edna Gilbert
Box 155
Collingswood, NJ 08108
(Send $2.00 to Mrs. Gilbert for an Ridgeback Rescue
rescue packet, including a list of rescue volunteer.)

Natalie Carlton
5630 N. Abington Rd.
Tucson, AZ 85743
602-743-7570 (AZ/NM/CA)

|| Recycled Ridgebacks
|| Jim Scatinni
|| 408-484-1433 (mid CA)

Frank DePaulo
215-767-8687 (PA)

Trinity Valley Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of Texas
?? Sandra Morehart (East of I-135)
6122 Blackberry Lane
Dallas, TX 75248
214-387-1059
or
Bobbie Gould (West of I-135)
5927 Inks Lake Dr.
Arlington, TX 76018
817-468-7300

??? Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of the U.S.
Rescue/Adoption
Ulla-Britt Ekengren
508-649-7020 (MA)

Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of Eastern Canada
Jo Dunn, President
R.R. #3
Walkerton, ON N0G 2V0
(519) 881-0886

Mary MacKinnon
802-644-5388
Vermont

Greater Valley Forge Rodesian Ridgeback Club
Richard Gordon (PA,MD,NJ,DE)
302-996-6480
ric...@strauss.udel.edu

Midwest RRC (WI,IL)
Judy Rochon
(608) 221-0878

New Englad RRC
Natalie Bandeian-Zoll
208-389-8676

Northwest RRC (WA, OR)
Shirley Wait
206-335-3232

Orange Coast RRC (Southern CA)
Sandra Abney
(909) 780-7080
or
Jacque Rex
(909) 381-3064
or
Barbara Rupert
19071 Equestrian Lane
Orange, CA 92660
714-532-5559

Raisen River RRC (MI)
Lina Gonterman
(313) 553-7443

RRA of Western New York
Mary Teeling
(716) 599-4133

RRC of Texas and Trinity Valley RRC of Texas
Tami Satterfield
(817) 485-9465

San Diego RRC (CA)
Dana Steadley
(619) 749-6358
or
Renee Woods
619-945-1080

Thomas Whitehurst
Indiana
812-474-9193

Shara Ryan
Ohio
513-236-4262

Rottweiler

American Rescue the Rottweiler Foundation (AARF)
713-645-ARRF, extension 1. (TX, but can give referrals)

American Rottweiler Club
Doreen LePage
401-568-9561
Rhode Island (should be able to give more local referrals)

Jennifer Beban
313-749-5370 (MI)

Aloha State Rottweiler Club
Claire Inouye
608 Hunapaa St.
Honolulu, HI 96816
808-734-0401

Rottweiler Club of Maine Rescue League (Maine only)
Jonathan Petry
Augusta, Maine
207-549-5541

Debra Cone & Larry Hamilton
207-457-2074 (ME)

Rottweiler Rescue League
Bonnie Buckley (also other breeds and mixed breeds)
3 Colgan Rd.
Merrimac, MA 01860
508-346-9068

Karen Billings
617-449-2452 (eastern Mass. only)

Alicia DeCelle
601-832-8450
In MS

|| Robin Roncoroni
|| 908-459-5333 (NJ)

Greater New York Rottweiler Club
John Gianninoto
310 Brook Avenue
Bayshore, NY 11706 (try - may not have rescue groups
set up, but may be able to help w/ referrals.)

baylist: 818-765-5997

The following are all in Florida:
In Jacksonville area:
Ray Gunderson 904-778-8524
Pat Stout 904-268-0207
Patricia Gilliard 904-384-5857
Marja McGinnis 904-262-4103 Home weekdays

In West Palm Beach Area:
Jackie Humphries 407-684-1112
Pat Swindle 407-471-5756
Carla Hopper 305-435-3985
Chip Dore 407-798-5153

In Havana, FL area:
Bonnie & Al Wimberly 904-539-9663

Marylou Stott
4517 W. Vliet St.
Milwaukee, WI 53208
414-342-6974

|| Terry Nuss
|| 609-467-4844 (NJ)

|| Kim
|| Rutherford NJ
|| 201-935-7076
|| Does rotties and GSDs.

Saint Bernard
St. Bernard Club of America
Rescue Chairman
Carol Varner
24246 N. 43rd Avenue
Glendale, AZ 85310
(602) 879-6184

Greater Milwaukee St. Bernard Club
Jan Much
924 E. Michigan
Oak Creek, WI 53154
414-764-0262

North Texas St. Bernard Club
Kathy Bishop
c/o 1423 Hampton Rd.
Grapevine, TX 76051
214-727-3537

Northern Colorado St. Bernard Club
Patty Neumayer
913 S. Rifle St.
Aurora, CO 80017
303-695-1349

St. Bernard Club of Puget Sound
Carole Dvorak
P.O. Box 343
Maple Valley, WA 98038
206-432-0506

Southern Maryland St. Bernard Fanciers
Dawn Camp
301-934-3785 (MD)

St. Bernard Club of the Pacific Coast
Penny Mahon
15244 Arnold Dr.
Glen Ellen, CA 95442
707-996-4319

Judy Sage
313-682-9628 (MI)

New England St. Bernard Club
Janice Myers
508-697-7790 (MA)

Cindy Stark
508-852-2483 (MA)

Liz Gaudet
203-746-4603
Connecticut

St. Bernard Rescue
Kathleen Babbins
301-645-4865

|| Ken Juenke
|| email: kenJ...@aol.com
|| Nevada

Saluki

Saluki Club of America
Cloris Costigan
908-257-9134 (NJ)

Saluki Club of Greater San Francisco
President/Acting Rescue Chair
Brian Duggan
P.O.Box 1168
Santa Cruz, CA 95061
(408) 423-6223 evenings, fax at (408) 423-0635
email: bdu...@scilibx.ucsc.edu (prefers phone calls)

San Angeles Saluki Club
Len Lundgren
P.O. Box 44517
Sylmar, CA 44157
818-369-9033

Celeste Johnson Frasher
203-322-6370
Connecticut

Lorraine Tremholm
508-385-9936 (MA)

Kathleen Banks
313-697-2389 (MI)

Samoyed

Samoyed Club of America
National Coordinator
Gail Spiker
415-325-8115 (CA)

Wilna Coulter
211 Lynton Ave.
San Carlos, CA 94070

baylist: Wilna Coulter
211 Lynton Ave.
San Carlos, CA 94070

Denver Samoyed Association Rescue
Heidi Nieman, Carolyn Bateman,
Linda Kitzman, Deb Castro, Brenda Abbott
(303) 838-5429 (CO)

Potomac Valley Samoyed Club
Jim Lamott
14908 Chestnut Ridge Ct.
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
301-340-9804

Minuteman Samoyed Club
Mary Ellen Fydenkevez
413-665-4125 (western Mass and RI)

Michigan Samoyed Rescue
Sharon Kremsreiter
4735 N Williamston Rd
Williamston MI 48895
517/655-1200

Heart of America Samoyed Club (HOASC)
Lynn Scheffner
3501 Rock Creek Dr.
Kansas City, MO 64116
(816) 452-7372

Elaine Gold
1022 Oak St
Columbus, OH 43205-3113
(614) 258-7267

Delaware Valley Samoyed Rescue
Sandy Phifer
2091 Hendricks Station Rd
Harleysville, PA 19438
(215) 234-8308

Dallas/Ft. Worth Samoyed Club
Dan Rowold Secretary
(817) 321-6139 (TX)

Samoyed Club of Austin, Inc
Jim & Joan Auld
3310 Catalina Drive
Austin, TX 78741
home: (512) 441-6912
work: (512) 451-2392 (after 6:00 pm)
fax: (512) 441-2900
email: Sno...@aol.com
or
Tom and Michelle Hardy
9 Carriage House Way
Austin, TX 78737
(512) 288-0059

Samoyed Club of Washington
Sandra Goodspeed
11718 - 193rd Ave E
Sumner, WA 98380

Shar Pei -see Chinese Shar Pei

Schipperke

Schipperke Club of America
Mary Cox
313-644-7876 (MI)

Lone Star Schipperke Club
Beverly Henry
2025 Sam Houston Cr.
Carrollton, TX 75006
214-416-1504

Colonial Schipperke Club
Mary Nielsen
700 Forest Park Rd.
Great Falls, VA 22066
703-759-3820

Marie Hills
508-476-2478 (MA)

Schnauzer-Giant
Jody Kay Berg
609-935-5694
New Jersey

Doris Redmann
815-678-3311

baylist: 415-262-0597

Schnauzer-Miniature

American Miniature Schnauzer Club
Peggie Blakley
9761 11th St.
Garden Grove, CA 92644
714-531-7473

Miniature Schnauzer Rescue
Jonnie Hart
3085 SW 107th Avenue
Portland, OR 97225
503-292-6510

Hannah Whitman
503-244-0145

Rick Vaughn
513-423-7960

Miniature Schnauzer Club of Northern California
Milly Robertson
172 Kelton Ave.
San Carlos, CA 94070
415-591-9918

Miniature Schnauzer Club of Southern California
Ruth Ziegler
1018 Montego Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90049
213-472-7993
Mt. Vernon Miniature Schnauzer Club
Carol Patterson
800 N. York Rd.
Sterling, VA 22170
703-450-4287

Paul Revere Miniature Schnauzer Club
Cathy Stone
9 Forest Dr.
Auburn, MA 01501
508-754-8559

Paul Revere Miniature Schnauzer Rescue
Janet Loreck
508-668-2197

baylist: 415-591-9918

Schnauzer-Standard
Standard Schnauzer Club of America
Kathy A. Donovan
20-740-8757 (CT)

Potomac Valley Standard Schnauzer
Mrs. Jerry Spellman
2722 Berryland Dr.
Oakton, VA 22124
703-620-5937

Standard Schnauzer Club of Northern California
Mary Lou Just
3758 Hatchers Circle
Stockton, CA 95209
209-473-0323 or Ernest Roche
655 Barneson Ave.
San Mateo, CA 94402

Mary Richards
213-454-2369

Scottish Deerhound
Scottish Deerhound Club of America
Deborah Day Hughes
517-769-2444
Michigan

Elin Phinizy
603-835-6074
New Hampshire

Scottish Terrier

Scottish Terrier Club of America
Mrs. Jackie Seelbach
17 Pine Tree Rd.
Ramsey, NJ 07446
and
Caryl Alten & Dennis Milewski
4601 Woodward Ave
Donwners Grove, IL 60515
708-963-1374

San Francisco Bay Scottish Terrier Club
Peggy Burge
2593 Mt. Pleasant Rd.
San Jose, CA 95122
408-238-2327

Scottish Terrier Rescue
Letty Passig
301-977-9250
or
Nancy Burlesdon
703-256-1871

Scottish Terrier Club of California
Sally McElvain
1649 Ninth St.
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
213-374-1588

Scottish Terrier Club of New England
Rescue Services
Karen Phillips
11 Miamis Rd.
W. Hartford, CT 06117
203-523-9168

Scottish Terrier Club of Greater Atlanta
Greg Bobbs
831 Derrydown Way
Decatur, GA 30030
404-373-9526

Scottish Terrier Club of Greater New York
William Berry
3 Sagamore Rd.
Parsippany, NJ 07054 201-227-1871

Scottish Terrier Club of Michigan
Paul DeBene
5757 Belle River Rd.
Imlay City, MI 48444
313-724-0161

Scottish Terrier Emergency Protection Service (STEPS)
Barbara Dominski (coordinator)
61 Cathedral Bluffs Drive
Scarborough, ON M1M 2T6
416-267-3788
Area Rep: Western Canada: Violet Morphet
8603 Kalivista Dr.
Vernon, BC V1B 1K4
604-524-2854

Bill Mark
313-659-6450 (MI)

Barbara Albright
603-887-4762
New Hampshire

baylist: Deborah Knous
3090 Los Prados
San Mateo, CA 94403

Sealyham Terrier

American Sealyham Terrier Club
Daryl Pakkala
919-347-4772
California

Pat Miller
217-877-0245 PA

American Sealyham Terrier Club
M. Thelma Miller
c/o Lindley Rd.
RD #1, Box 90
Canonsburg, PA 15317
217-877-0245

Patsy Wood
215-935-1776
Pennsylvania

Shepherd -see German Shepherd Dog

Shetland Sheepdog

American Shetland Sheepdog Association
Susan Beachum
Idaho
208-773-4256
Call for referrals to local groups.

No. Cal. Shetland Sheepdog Club
Diane Bassett
415-359-5181 (CA)

Debbie De Nardo
203-526-4018
Connecticut

Lynne Young
2617 Deepwood Dr.
Wilmington, DE 19810
302-478-8291
Lynne does sheltie rescue in DE, southeast PA,
Northeast MD, and a little NJ, too.

Interlocking Shetland Sheepdog Club of Monee, Inc.
Jane Naden
417 Arlington
Crete, IL 60417
708-672-7258

Riley County Sheltie Rescue (Kansas)
Cheryl May - 913-776-4326
Carolyn Otto- 913-539-0554
Alice Michaels - 913-539-0129
|| email: cm...@ksu.ksu.edu

Colonial Shetland Sheepdog Club
Madelyn Cirinna
74 Maple St.
West Newbury, MA 01985
508-363-2978

|| Maribeth McCarthy
|| Nashua, NH
|| 603-891-2075
|| help with placements

Trish
313-522-4663 (MI)

Shetland Sheepdog Club of Austin
Vonnie Taylor
2206 Galway
Austin, TX 78758
512-834-2201

Sherry Lindsey
P.O. Box 241
Seguin, TX 78156
512-379-4510

Evergreen State Shetland Sheepdog Club
Lynn Erckmann
4761 162nd Ave., NE
Redmond, WA 98052
206-885-0701

Shiba Inu -see Japanese Shiba Inu

Shih Tzu

American Shih Tzu Club
Sharon Bilicich
310-831-6992 (CA)

Joyce Deval
313-383-1374 (MI)

Bonnie Bean
508-544-8808 (MA)

Siberian Husky

Siberian Husky Club of America Rescue Network
Jerry Dalakian, Chairman
83 Oak Grove Rd.
Flemington, NJ 08822
908-782-2089

Ruth Henningsen
201-697-9456 (northern NJ)

Rosemary Laubach
908-431-1169 (NJ)

Michele Thie
517-546-0514 (MI)

Siberian Husky Club of Hawaii
Cheryl Chang
47-685 Hui Alala St.
Kaneohe, HI 96744
808-239-6693

Susan Herlihy
617-593-7331 (MA)
(referrals only)

Yankee Siberian Husky Rescue Service
Sheila Blanker
413-498-4455
Western Massachusetts

Bay Area Siberian Husky Club Rescue (BASH)
Marilyn Lasagne
510-820-1162 (CA)

baylist: Andy Gach
1621 Christina Dr.
Las Altos, CA 94022

|| Siberian Information, Education, Rescue, Rahab,
|| and Adoption (SIERRA)
|| 908-362-9413 (NY/NJ area)

Silky Terrier
Richard Hammond Silky Terrier Rescue
Lee Easton
18801 NE Willimason Road
Newberg, OR 97132
503-538-5112
or
Ivy Rogers
656 Santa Maria Road
El Sobrante, CA 94803
510-222-8240

Silky Terrier Club of America
Ms. I.D. Rogers
415-222-8240
California

Skye Terrier
Skye Terrier Club of Southern California
Dolly Stofer
2095 W. Acacia Rd.
Palm Springs, CA 92262
619-323-0632

Skye Terrier Club of America
Anne Brown
803-726-6678
or
John D. Bower (Past rescue contac?)
HC60 Box 75A
Granville, Mass. 01034
413-357-6104

Smooth Fox Terrier -see Fox Terrier

Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier

Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier Club of America
Cindy Meyer
815-544-2481 (IL)
or
Gwen Arthur
713-469-4214 (TX)

Christan Peterson
313-642-5255 (MI)

Delaware Valley Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier Club
Richard Tomlinson
4428 Province Line Rd.
Princeton, NJ 08540
609-924-1453

The Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier Club of Northern California
Sonya Urquhart
775 Wesley Drive
Vacaville, CA 95688
707-446-7494
or
Robyn Alexander
1819 Rose Street
Berkeley, CA 94703
415-526-7948

|| Pat Sloate
|| CA
|| 213-661-5055

|| Anne Halvorson
|| CA
|| 510-943-1857

|| Bill Bowman
|| CA
|| 805-254-8264

Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Club of Metro, N.Y.
Sally and Ray Murtha
149 Berry Hill Rd.
Syosset, NY 11791
516-921-8741

baylist: 415-526-7048

Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier Rescue
P.O. Box # 133
Brampton, Ontario, Canada
L6X 1K4
(905) 770-9831 ext. 22 -> (greater Toronto/Niagara area)
(905) 478-2139 -> (as above)
(416) 783-9346 ext. 44 -> (metro Toronto)
(519) 853-1456 ext. 52 -> (southern Ontario)
Calls preferred between 6 & 9 pm, Eastern time.

Springer Spaniel -see English Springer, Welsh Springer

Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club
Tony George
718-898-0298 (NY)

Linda Barker (past chairperson?)
1119 N. Naomi St.
Burbank, CA 91505
818-843-4861

Staffordshire Terrier
Staffordshire Terrier Club of America
Melanie Tierney
315-422-9613 (NY)

Sharon Veci
203-742-9364 (CT)

Standard Schnauzer -see Schnauzer-standard

Sussex Spaniel
Sussex Spaniel Club of America
Joan Dunn
414-646-4114 (WI)

Tibetan Mastiff
Kathy Miller
301-932-1776

Tibetan Spaniel
Tibetan Spaniel Club of America
Phyllis B. Kohler
703-659-3265
VA

Tibetan Terrier
Tibetan Terrier Club of America
Ken Edmonds
404-373-4605

Toy Fox Terrier
Holly Peterson
508-663-8093 (MA)

Vizsla

Vizsla Club of America
Rick Davis, chairperson
150 Stilla Har Drive
Westminster, SC 29693
803-647-5914

Connecticut Valley Vizsla Club
John Morris
2 Promontory Dr.
Cheshire, CT 06410

Tampa Bay Vizsla Club
Judy Heiser
3541 NW 14th Ave.
Pompano Beach, FL 33064
305-941-9392

Vizsla Club of Northern California
Steve Shlyen
415-566-9289

Vizsla Club of Greater New York
Elaine Panebianco
33 Whistler Hill Lane
Huntington, NY 11743
516-266-1602

Sue Gray
508-877-5708 (MA)

|| Rita Prindle
|| CO
|| 303-568-9042

baylist: 415-566-9289

|| Visla Rescue Service
|| Elaine Hopkins
|| 680 Otonabee Drive
|| Peterborough, Ontario,
|| Canada K9J 7P9
|| 705-743-7894 between 9 and 11 pm (EST)

Weimaraner

Weimaraner Club of America and the
Weimaraner Club of Greater St. Louis
Rebecca Weimer
324 Sundew Drive
Belleville, IL 62221
618-236-1466

Delaware Valley Weimaraner Club
Kathy Manser
2040 Kerr Rd.
Harleysville, PA 19438
215-584-0615

Greater Charleston Weimaraner Club
Linda Weick
103 Eagle Dr.
Summerville, SC 29483
803-873-3796

Weimaraner Club of South Florida
Susan Warner
6630 West 13th Court
Hialeah, FL 33012

Western Washington Weimaraner Club
Debra Follensbee
3021 87th Ave., Ct. E.
Puyallup, WA 98371
206-845-2464

John and Chris McLaughlin
508-655-6188 (MA)

Yankee Weimeraner Club
Kathleen Lallemand
10 Timberlee Land
Westford, MA 01886
508-692-2267
or
Ellen O'Leske
508-885-4255

Sacramento Valley Weimaraner Club
Kathy Dunn
13560 Skyline Blvd.
Oakland, CA 94619
415-635-3921

Sylvia Ashton
313-683-4776 (MI)

Karen Mayo
313-475-2296 (MI)

North Texas Weimeraner Club
Becky Wallendal or Suzanne Fourmigue
(214) 242-6983 (214) 350-7168

Welsh Corgi Cardigan
Cardigan Welsh Corgi Club of America Rescue
H. Pamela Allen, chairperson
406 E. Alexandria Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22301
703-836-1963

|| Maribeth McCarthy
|| Nashua, NH
|| 603-891-2075
|| Help with placements

The following are in CA:

|| Gordon Ervin
|| 408-263-4883

|| Arleen Rooney
|| 310-830-8126

|| Morell Lamere
|| 310-394-1897

|| Mary Greenwood
|| 818-966-2331

Welsh Corgi Pembroke
Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club of America
|| National Chairperson
Ellen Childs
|| Town Hill Road
|| New Hartford, CT 06057
203-379-0668
or
Nancy Brant (rescue committee member)
(also rescue committee person for Ohio Valley PWC Club)
P.O. Box 1032
Delaware, OH 43015
nbr...@osu.edu

Perrine Crampton
102 Arbor Way
Somerville, NJ 08876
Member PWCCGS (Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club of the Garden State)
and SCDOC (Somerset County Dog Obedience Club
Editor: PWCCGS Quarterly Newsletter - Corgi Toplines
"Compiler of" PWC Geographical Listing of Rescue Contacts
in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania
perrine_...@colpal.com

Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club of Florida
(central and north Florida)
Jean Bates
3707 Edgewater Drive
Orlando, FL 32804
407-298-1945

(west Florida)
Bonnie Hansen
10993 124th Avenue N
Largo, FL 34648
813-585-1221

(east Florida)
Deborah Shindle
3906 Indian River Drive
Vero Beach, FL 32963
407-231-0517

Pembroke Welsh Corgi Rescue League
Hilda W. Lowery
91 Willard Drive
Marietta, GA 30066
404-428-8919

Deanna B. Kuhn, chair
33965 N. Fairfield Rd.
Round Lake, IL 60073
708-546-1739

|| Mayflower Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club
|| Rescue Co-Chair
|| Jane Rainsford
|| PO Box 74
|| So. Walpole, MA 02071
|| 508/668-9690
or
|| Rescue Co-Chair
|| 119 North Lincoln Road
|| E. Rochester, NY 14445
|| 716/381-0811

Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club of Potomac
Diane Gaskins
1113 Justa Lane
Cockeysville, MD 21030
301-252-8833

Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club of Southern California, Inc.
Meredith Brittain
18393 Buckhorn Rd.
San Bernardino, CA 92407
714-887-5057

Terri Swaim
135 Tall Pine Lane
Ortonville, MI 48462
313-627-3723

Deb Beal
203-535-3913 (CT)

|| Arleen Rooney
|| CA
|| 310-830-8126

|| Golden Gate P.W.C. Fanciers
|| Sally Howe
|| CA
|| 408-474-4498

|| P.W.C. club of S. CA
|| Margaret Stewart
|| 818-842-1431

|| Maribeth McCarthy
|| Nashua, NH
|| 603-891-2075
|| help with placements

Pembroke Welsh Corgi Association of Canada
Ms. Susan O'Heir, National Secretary
25 Nottingham Dr.
Etobicoke, ON M9A 2W4
(416) 234-5431

PWC Rescue, Serving the Pembroke Welsh Corgi
Marcie Stone
Croeso, RR 2
Rockwood, ON NOB 2KO
519-856-2272
Murray Cunningham
Box 183, Vittoria
ON NOE 1WO
519-428-1763

Welsh Terrier

Welsh Terrier Club of America
and Welsh Terrier Cares Rescue Service
Carolyn and Ward Morris
4210 Montview Dr. NW
Atlanta, GA 30305
404-351-1330 (GA)
compuserve: 7022...@compuserve.com

The following are are part of
Welsh Terrier Cares Rescue Service:

Joann N. Adams
11110 E. Shady Lane
Tucson, AZ 85749
602-749-4756

Deborah Jamison
21346 Rumford Drive
Cupertino, CA 95014
408-725-0424

Diane Amendola
20251 Cape Cottage Lane
Huntington Beach, CA 92646
714-536-0867

Roger and Derry Coe
9967 E. Eda Ave.
Englewood, CO 80111
303-721-8021

Pam Price
497 22nd Place
Vero Beach FL 32960
407-569-0561

Rob Savage
1624 Des Plaines
Chicago, IL 60616
312-421-1557

Linda Sutton
19427 W. 167th
Olathe KS 66062
913-764-4542

Lisa Heath
621 W.. Hoover
Ann Arbor, MI 48106
313-665-2417

Elizabeth Leaman
523 Ridgewood Ave.
Glen Ridge NJ 07028
201-744-3732

Ruth Prehn
17240 Rock Creek Road
Thompson, OH 216-298-3036

Lynell Dewey
112 Vancouver
Medford, OR 97504
503-776-3825

Ginny Winters
Airport Rd. RD3 Box 73
Indiana, PA 15701
412-349-1354

Mary Seck
308 Dyer Road
Sanger, TX 76266
817-458-7634

Terry Hoskins
2122 Boxwood Drive
Falls Church, VA 22043
703-533-3864

Doug Hutton
465 Rymal Rd. W.
Hamilton, Ontario
CANADA L9B1B7
416-387-5210

West Highland White Terrier
West Highland White Terrier Club of America
Ann Sanders
1-700-4-Westie (that may be a misprint - maybe it's 1-800?)

West Highland White Terrier Club of Greater Baltimore
Joe and Naomi Engers
807 Prospect Mill Rd.
Bel Air, MD 21014
301-838-6489

West Highland White Terrier Club of California
Susan Porter
328 N. Windsor Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90004
213-463-9113

West Highland White Terrier Club of SE Texas
Linda Wedgeworth
23210 Bright Star
Spring, TX 77373
713-821-9026

William Penn West Highland White Terrier Club
Patricia Marks
501 E. Moreland Ave.
Willow Grove, PA 19090
215-657-6085

West Highland White Terrier Club of New England
Beverly Kilinsky
RR1 Box 366
Wakefield Ave.
Webster, MA 01570
508-943-6254

West Highland White Terrier Resuce
Charles Gibson and Nancy Wagner
P.O. Box 1668
Marietta, GA 30061-1668
404-565-6770

San Francisco Bay White West Highland Terrier Club
Pam Evans
3137 Rasmus Circle
San Jose, CA 95148
408-274-8718

Westie Rescue
Nancy Hummitzsch, national chair
Ontario, Canada
519-749-0117

Wheaten Terrier -see Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier

Wire Fox Terrier -see Fox Terrier

Whippet
American Whippet Club
Sally deBecque Smith
303-666-9614 (CO)

Kathleen Banks
313-697-2389 (MI)

Southern California Whippet Association
Tom and Ellen Hammatt
24062 Castilla Lane
Mission Viejo, CA 92691
714-770-9881

Western Washington Whippet Association
Leslie Griffith and Paul Winden
8004 NE 120th
Kirkland, WA 98034
206-823-4212

New England Whippet Society
Iva Kimmelman
508-897-8950
413-733-0444 Western Massachusetts
203-264-7990 Connecticut

Whippet Club of Eastern Canada
Lynn Cleary, Rescue Coordinator
R.R. #1
Glen Robertson, ON K0B 1H0
(613) 874-2802

Whippet Rescue
Carol Gregory
4053 Eagle Nest Lane
Danville, CA 94506
510-736-7340

baylist: 408-247-1749

Wirehaired Pointing Griffon

American Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Associ.
Linda Gagnon
508-544-8933 (MA)

Xoloitzcuintli
Amy Fernandez
718-544-6092
New York

Carol Fernandez
718 788 7576
New York

Yorkshire Terrier

Yorkshire Terrier Club of America
Breed Rescue Coordinators
Marcia Knudsen
(612) 345-3726
State: MN

Bluebonnet Yorkshire Terrier Club
Susan Griffin
2712 Dorrington
Dallas, TX 75228
214-320-9469

Yorkshire Terrier Club of Greater Houston
Karen Murnane 4149 Milton St.
Houston, TX 77005-2737
713-665-6866

Joyce Shiro
617-843-1749
(referrals only) (MA)

baylist: Janie Pack
967 Camellia Way
San Jose, CA 95117

|| Mary Kay Keppler
|| email: kepp...@indirect.com
|| Southwest U.S.

___________________________________________________________________
All breed and associated organizations

Rare Breeds (referral on breeds with no clubs)
Kathy De Wees 609-877-5027 (New Jersey)

Sighthounds: Connecticut Sighthound Club
Kathy Budney 203-666-0649 Connecticut
Linda Garwacki 413-566-3847 western Massachusetts

Terriers Robert Cowell 203-334-3025 Connecticut
(referral only on all Terrier breeds and Golden Retrievers)

Toys Sandy Rinder 212-475-8479 New York
(especially Maltese and Poodles)

Toy Breed Rescue Referrals
415-952-6520 (CA)

Sighthound Rescue
415-851-7812 or 415-924-7020 (CA)

Wolf Hybrid North American Wolf/Wolf Hybrid Rescue Network, Inc.
Sandy Williams 609-627-1186 New Jersey
Robert J. Stubbe 301-762-4607 Maryland

Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue
P.O. Box 3523
Redmond, WA 98073
206-654-1117 (this is *quite* a great org.)

Buddy Dog (no-kill shelter)
Boston Post Road
Sudbury, MA 01776
508-443-6990

Baypath Humane Society
(no-kill shelter, nice place)
Hopkington, MA
508-435-6938

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary
P.O. Box G
Kanab, UT 84741
801-644-2001

Purebred Rescue Association of Michigan
5188 Winchester Pass
Lapeer, MI 48446
(list of Michigan rescue organization available upon request)
Megen Veen, President
313-664-9800 (days)
313-664-2548 (after 8:30 p.m.)

SF Bay Area Canine Rescue
415-851-7812 or 415-591-9918 (CA)

CARE Companion Animal Rescue Effort
408-227-CARE (CA)

East Bay Animal Refferal
415-841-PAWS (CA)

Friends of the Fairmont Animal Shelter
|| 510-357-2487 (CA)

Friends of Strays
2911 47th Ave. North
St. Petersburg, FL 33714
813-522-6566

|| Hayward Friends of Animals
|| 510 886-7546 (CA)

Nike Animal Rescue Foundation
408-224-6273 (CA)

Boston Humane Society
P.O. Box 520
Barre, MA 01005
508-755-1117
(A no-kill shelter)

Pet Finders
415-566-1045 (CA)

Pets & Pals
415-775-5881 (CA)

Pets in Need
415-367-1405 (CA)

Pets Unlimited
415-563-6700 (CA)

Dial-A-Pet (AZ only)
602-276-PETS, from 9-5:30 M-F, 9-4:30 Sat/Sun.
This group takes info about you and the breed you
want, finds the breed you're looking for in local
pounds and breed rescues in Arizona.

All Breed Rescue Association (ABRA)
713-342-3078 Houston, TX only

All Breed Rescue Network of Colorado
Bonnie Guzman
303-733-4220 (CO only)

All-Breed Rescue Network/Clearinghouse (Maryland only)
202-244-0065 (long-distance phone calls will
be returned, COLLECT)

Cascade Animal Protection Society
Arlou Hunter
31849 Pacific Hwy S #112
Federal Way, WA 98003

Muttmatchers Messenger/Humane Animal Rescue Team
Suzanne Kane
P.O. Box 1165
Enumclaw, WA 98022
206-825-0741

Homeless Pet Placement League, Inc.
P.O. Box 273027
Houston, TX 77277
713-862-7387

Humane Animal Rescue Team
national office
P.O. Box 920
Fillmore, CA 93016
805-524-4542

Concern for Animals
Tenino, WA
206-264-2839

Haven on Earth
Companion Animal Rescue and Referral (cats and dogs)

Libby McGreevy
San Bruno, CA (Northern California)
415/952-1765
li...@ucsfvm.ucsf.edu

Paws & Claws
Gloria 206-845-1424 (WA)
Kathy 206-531-8349

Equal Rights Animal Society
P.O. Box 1572
Puyallup, WA 98371
206-863-3933

Whidbey Animal Improvement Foundation
1254 W. Pioneer Way #238
Oak Harbor, WA 98277
206-678-3722
206-321-5111
206-679-2731

Hooterville Pets
Woodinville, WA
206-488-4444
" Rescues & places large shaggy dogs, particularly
Old English Sheepdog mixes"
Jack Wilhelm
206-771-7349

Large Breed Rescue
Bill Brookings
Lawton, OK
bi...@cuok.cameron.edu
"We also will rescue any big breed dog that is [deemed
adoptable, ed.] within 2 hours drive around us .... so
that would cover Oklahoma City, Wichita Falls areas."

Save-A-Pet, Inc.
2019 Rand Rd.
Palatine IL 60067
(708)934-7788

Adopt-A-Pet, Inc.
Irene: (908) 780-9706
Lee: (908) 462-6576
Sharon: (908) 462-5184 (NJ)

Animal Rescue Force, Inc.
(908) 257-7559 (NJ)

North American Purebred Dog Rescue
Judith A. Tjosvold
9436 - 184th St.
Surrey, BC V4N 3T5
604-822-1026

HART (Homeless Animals Rescue Team)
HART is a charitable organization that gives the general
public an alternative to animal shelters. The onwer is asked
to maintain their pet in their home as long as possible while
the animal is advertised and a new owner found. A home check
and contract are mandatory for adopters.
P.O. Box 7261
Fairfax Station, VA 22039
703-691-HART

Animals' Guardian Angels
301-870-6463 (MD)

Animal Trustees of Austin (ATA) (TX)
WHO IS ATA? Animal Trustees of Austin, Inc. was founded by concerned
citizens desiring to help lost, abused, and abandoned animals in Travis
County. A 501 (c) 3 tax-exempt non-profit organization, ATA was created
exclusively fo the charitable and educational purpose of representing and
protecting animals. Current ATA projects include the rescue and
re-homing of dogs and cats who are about to be euthanized at the
municipal shelter. Please call us at 512-327-5487 if you have any
questions, or would like to volunteer your services to our cause.

Carolyn Edison
9913 Ledgestone Terrace
Austin, TX 78737
512-288-4248

Linda Brescia
Canton, CT
203-693-9672

Dee Dinneen
Massachusetts
508-342-1100 days
508-827-1341 (evenings)
d...@iii.net
Placements only, all breeds

Alyeska Canine Trainers
Pat Bouschor
5201 Rabbit Creek Rd.
Anchorage, AK 99516
907-345-1506

Atlanta Kennel Club
Dolores Russell
c/o 2441 Old Field Rd., NW
Atlanta, GA 30327
404-296-7126

Channel City Kennel Club
Cheryl Reynolds
4280 Carpinteria Ave.
Carpinteria, CA 93013
805-648-4914

Conyers Kennel Club of Georgia
Jackie Dilworth
570 Clubhouse Dr.
Conyers, GA 30208
404-922-4151

Imperial Valley Kennel Club
D. Michael Burk
2560 Hwy. 111
Imperial, CA 92251-9768
619-355-1270

Jacksonville DFA
Betty Jean Shuman
P.O. Box 1232
Jacksonville, FL 32201
904-733-1907

Karen Howell 605-627-5668 (SD)

Kathy Theisen
313-261-4712 (MI)

Kona Coast Kennel Club
Kathy Miller
P.O. Box 1951
Kamuela, HI 96743
808-885-4118

Lower Bucks Dog Training Club
Joe Egan
18 Quail Rd.
Levittown, PA 19057
215-949-1204

Marion-Alachua Dog Training Association
Janice Rodgers
Rt. 1, Box 470
Citra, FL 32675
904-591-1773

Onondaga Kennel Association
Jacqueline Karpinski
Young Rd.
Syracuse, NY 13512
315-492-9521

Rhode Island Kennel Club
Claudia Gaulin
120 Mirick Ave.
Cranston, RI 02920
401-944-5042

Trap Falls Kennel Club
Lilian Schneider
20 Cheryl Drive
Monroe, CT 06468
203-261-2503

SPCA of Northern Virginia
703-799-9390
Works with dogs and cats, sometimes rabbits and birds, too.
Animals are vetted, then fostered. (Not kept in one holding
facility)

Fort Saskatchewan and Area Canine Association
Lori-Ann Rice, Secretary
Box 3224
Fort Saskatchewan, AB T8L 2T2
(403) 998-0758

Grey-Bruce Kennel and Obedience Club Inc.
Ms. Mary Morris, Secretary
P.O. Box 481
Owen Sound, ON N4K 5P7
(519) 376-0401

British Columbia All Terrier Club
Sue Cairns, Corresponding Secretary
P.O. Box 2491
Vancouver, BC V6B 2W7
(604) 538-1270
_______________________________________________________________________

[Cindy Tittle Moore]

Archive-name: dogs-faq/resources
Last-modified: 15 Jan 1995

=======
The latest versions of these FAQ's may be found via the Web at
http://io.com/user/tittle/dogs-faq/homepage.html.

There are nearly 50 FAQ's available for this group. For a complete
listing of these, get the "Complete List of RPD FAQs". This article
is posted bimonthly in rec.pets.dogs, and is available via anonymous ftp
to rtfm.mit.edu under pub/usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/faq-list, via
the Web at http://io.com/user/tittle/dogs-faq/lists/faq-list.html, or via
email by sending your message to mail-...@rtfm.mit.edu with
send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/faq-list
in the body of the message.
==========

RESOURCES.

A. Catalogues & Mail-order Companies.
B. Magazines.
C. Organizations.

A. Catalogues & Mail-order Companies.

I can make no statement about any of these companies or their
products. In particular, no endorsement by me of any particular
mail order company by me is implied herein. If you have any comments
or corrections, I will note them here along with the date. The
accuracy of any address or phone number is not guaranteed, but
if a date is present, it indicates when it was last verified.

4-M Enterprises, Inc.
1280 Pacific Street
Union City, CA 94587
tel: 510-489-8722 (office)
1-800-487-9867 (orders)
fax: 510-489-8331
phenomenal selection of dog books.

Acme Machine Co. ADANAK Sleds and Equipment
2901 Freemont Ave. South 4108 Hywy 93 N
Minneapolis, MN 55408 Kalispell, MT 59901
tel: 1-800-332-2472, 612-827-3571 tel: 406-752-2929
fax: 612-827-8905 Sledding equpment
obedience supplies, including a dumbbell
with a nylabone dowel

Alpine
955 Mass Ave. #314
Cambridge, MA 02139
tel: 800-424-7463
free catalogue, collars and leads

Alpine Publications, Inc. America's Pet Door Store (1/93)
233 South Madison Avenue Patio Pacific Inc., Dept. 7
P.O. Box 7027 1931-C N. Gaffey St.
Loveland, Colorado 80537 San Pedro, CA 90731
tel: 1-800-777-7257 orders only, tel: 1-800-826-2871
303-667-2017 customer service wide variety of pet doors
books ships US-wide

Animals Etc. (1.93) Animal Town, Inc.
PO Box 2720-166 P.O. Box 1710
Huntington Beach, CA 92647 El Cajon, CA 92022
tel: 714-964-9906 dog, cat, fish, bird &
animal statuary -- many hard to find small animal pet supplies
breeds and colors, excellent quality

AVP (1/93)
Box 1326
Galesburg, IL 61402
free catalogue, pet care products

Bedford Farms/Black Ice Beef Rawhide
11225 County Road 20 P.O. Box 1210
Delano, Minnesota 55328 Riverdale, NY 10471-1210
tel: 612-955-2505 tel: 1-800-836-2333
sledding supplies, rawhides -- very good quality
excellent harnesses and prices

Care-A-Lot Pet Supply Warehouse (1/93) Cherrybrook (3/94)
1617 Diamond Springs Road Route 57, P.O. Box 15
Virginia Beach, Virginia 23455 Broadway, New Jersey 08808
tel: 1-800-343-7680 outside Virginia, tel: 1-800-524-0820 outside NJ,
804-460-9771 within Virginia 201-689-7979 in NJ
staffed: m-f 9 am - 6:30 pm, fax: 201-689-7988
sat 10 am - 5 pm, EST general dog and cat supplies
fax: 804-460-0317
general dog and cat supplies, some tools

Color Critters Custom Statuary (1.93) Companion Pet (3/94)
PO Box 4158 5345 Bridge Road
West Covina, CA 91791 PO Box 135
tel: 818-918-6724 McNaughton, WI 54543
makes breed statues -- many breeds or tel: 800-442-PETS
will custom make. $5 catalogue, refunded discounted supplies, free catalog
with first order

The Corgi Shop (11/93)
PO Box 1500
125 South Main Street
Lanesboro, MA 01237
tel: 413-499-9939
corgi-related items

Custom Dog Supplies Custom Needlework Designs (1/93)
3531 East Winesap Box 9
Salt Lake City, UT 84121-4524 Oreland, PA 19075
tel: 801-942-2206 tel: 1-800-767-6313
needlework created from photos

Cycle Guide to America's Dogs Denlinger's Publishers, LTD
Quaker Professional Services PO Box 76
Cycle Dog Chart Fairfax, VA 22030
585 Hawthorn Ct. tel: 703-830-4646
Galesburg, IL 61401 fax: 703-830-5303
a 25"X38" poster depicting all 137 books
AKC-recognized breeds, folded or rolled

Direct Book Service (7/94) Dog Goods Ltd.
Dog & Cat Book Catalog 1-800-736-4746
8 Summercreek Place free catalog, leather leashes
PO Box 3073 collars, harnesses, etc.
Wenatchee, WA 98807
tel: 1-800-776-2665 (orders, 24hrs)
509-663-9115 (customer service)
staffed 8-5 M-F, PST
fax: 1-509-662-7233
dog books, including out-of-print
books; very complete; book searches

Econoseal Pet Doors (1/93) Econo Vet
5214 W. Luke, Suite 8 tel: 800-451-4162
Glendale, AZ 85301 excellent vaccine prices
tel: 800-4444-9499
weatherproof pet doors

The Farmacy, In. (4/94) Drs. Foster & Smith, Inc. (3/94)
70 Jones Road 2253 Air Park Road
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 P.O. Box 100
tel: 803-236-4980 Rhinelander, WI 54501-0100
800-733-4981 tel: 800-826-7206
among other things, sells pet supplies, large discounts,
emergency bloat kits free catalog
health related dog supplies, small
company

Goldrusk Pet Care Center Good Vibrations
1991 Allouez Avenue Box 317
Green Bay, WI 54311 Englishtown Rd.
tel: 414-468-7956 Old Bridge, NJ 08857
908-251-5959
T's, sweats, 165+ breeds,
free catalogue

Hale Security Pet Door (3/94) Horst Company (3/94)
5622 N. 52nd Ave. Suite 4 101 East 18th Street
Glendale, AZ 85301 Greeley, CO 80631
tel: 800-888-8914 tel: 303-353-7724
energy efficient, secure double flap fax: 303-353-7774
doors, eleven sizes plus custom fit kennels, standard and custom
free brochure construction, free brochure

Howell Book House (1/93)
866 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10022
tel: 1-800-257-5755, 212-702-3424

IKON Outfitters LTD. Innotek Pet Products, Inc. (3/94)
7597 Latham Road 1-800-826-5527
Lodi, Wisconsin 53555 electronic containment systems,
tel: 608-592-4397 anti-bark collars, training
staffed: m-f 8-5, central time collars, etc.
sleds, sledding and carting supplies,
backpacks

Invisible Fencing JB Pet Supplies (3/94)
724 West Lancaster Ave. 5 Raritan Road
Wayne, Pennsylvania 1908 Oakland, NJ 07436
tel: 215-964-0600 tel: 800-526-0388
free catalog, assorted supplies

Jeffers Vet Supply (3/94) J and J Dog Supplies
PO Box 948 PO Box 1517
West Plains, MO 65775 and Galesburg, IL 61402
PO Box 100 tel: 800-642-2050
Dothan, AL 36302 obedience supplies, free catalog
tel: 800-JEFFERS
pet supply products, free catalog

Johnson Pet Door Company (4/94)
320 Graves Avenue
Oxnard, CA 93030
tel: 805-988-4800

K-9 Carts (3/94) Kaleb's Kart Co. (1/95)
532 Newtown Rd. W5770 Wildwood Rd
Berwyn, PA 19312 Neilsville, WI 54456
tel: 215-644-6624 tel: 715-743-3864
carts for paralyzed or amputated dogs skijoring equipment

Kennel Vet (1/93) Kicksled USA
Box 835 Old Route 16
Bellmore Ny 11710 Center Ossipee, NH 03814
tel: 516-783-5400 tel: 800-621-2636
vaccines, crates, books, toys, lightweight dog sleds for training
etc -- free catalogue and familly fun

Konari Outfitters Lakeshore Artisans, Inc. (1/93)
P.O. Box 752 PO Box 160
52 Seymour St. Belgium, WI 53004-0160
Middlebury, VT 05753 tel: 414-285-3160
tel: 802-388-7447 100+ breeds: note paper, plaques,
variety of outdoor/dog supplies, T's, sweats, mugs, etc.
sledding harnesses, backpacks, etc $1 catalogue & breed sample

Leerburg Video Production Long Run Kennels
P.O. Box 218 P.O. Box 1475
Menomonie, Wisconsin 54751 Charlestown, RI 02813
tel: 715-235-6502 tel: 1-800-365-6936
staffed: 24hrs/7days/week
general pet supplies,
$30 minimum order.

Mail Order Pet Shop (3/94)
1338 N. Market Blvd
Sacramento, CA 95834 or
250 W. Executive Dr.
Edgewood, NY 11717
free catalog, full line of supplies

Martha's Vineyard (9/92) Master Animal Care (2/94)
(in Massachusetts) Division of Humbold Industries Inc
tel: 508-693-1991 Lake Road, PO Box 3333
fax: 508-693-6438 Mountaintop, PA 18707-0330
Catalogue includes a "black dog" tel: 1-800-346-0749
theme, food bowls, caps, sweatshirts,
etc (dog looks like a labrador)

Mason Kennels (3/94) Max 200 (3/94)
260 Depot Street tel: 800-HI-MAX200
Leesburg, OH 45135 free catalog, obedience equipment,
tel: 800-543-5567 good prices, good equipment
free catalog, standard and custom
kennels and dog runs.

Multipet Pty. Ltd.
PO Box 35347
Northway, 4065 South Africa
distributor for TFH Publications
in South Africa

Natural Animal (3/94)
PO Box 1177
St. Augustine, FL 32085
tel: 800-274-7387
environmentally safe products, free catalog

New England Serum Company (3/94) NH Northern (3/94)
US Route 1 PO Box #1219
Topsfield, MA 01983 Burnsville, MN 55337-0219
tel: 1-800-NE-SERUM (us/canada) tel: 800-533-5545
grooming supplies, toys, crates, fax: 612-894-0083
xpens and mats, excellent discounts free catalog, handyman type
especially in bulk pet care products

Nordkyn Outfitters Omaha Vaccine Company
PO Box 1023 Best Care Catalogue
Graham, WA 98338-1023 3030 "L" Street PO Box 7228
tel: 206-847-4128 Omaha, Nebraska 68107
sledding and weight pulling supplies tel: 1-800-367-4444
staffed 7-6 M-F, 8-noon Sat CST

The Patch Place Patch Werks
2010 E. Wren St. K. Sours
Peoria Heights, IL 61614 3821 N. Charter Oak Rd.
for patches with titles Peoria, IL 61615
custom patches

Pegasus Originals, Inc.
129 Minnie Fallaw Rd.
Lexington, SC 29073
(800)845-2427
all kinds of cross-stich patterns of dogs,
individual breed head studies also available

Pedigrees (7/94) Penguin USA
1989 Transit Way Box 120
Box 905 Bergenfield, NJ 07621-0120
Brockport, NY 14420-0905 tel: 1-800-526-0275 orders
tel: 716-637-1431 orders staffed 9-4 M-F EST
800-272-0234 service 1-800-331-4624 cust. service
staffed: M-F 8-7:30, 9-1 Sat EST staffed 9-4:30 M-F EST
general dog and cat supplies; fax: 1-800-227-9604
pet-related gift items 201-385-6521
a front for RC Steele, not telex: 13-5329
subject to the $50 minimum order pet books
(more expensive)

Personalized Canine Checks (1/93) Pet Ability (6/94)
Kansas Bank Note Co. PO Box 23366
Fifth & Jefferson Milwaukee, WI 53223
PO Box 360 tel: 800-554-9902
Fredonia, KS 66736 pet supplies, no catalogue
316-378-3026
free brochure; 140+ breeds

The Pet Book Shop Pet Ramp, Inc. (3/94)
PO Box 507 4727 Lawrenceville Hwy
Oyster Bay, NY 11771 Tucker, GA 30084
tel: 516-922-1169 tel: 404-934-1053
carpeted, portable ramps for small
heavy, aged, injured, etc., pets

Pet Doors USA (1/93) Pet Warehouse (3/94)
4523 30th St. W. PO Box 310
Bradenton, FL 34207 Xenia, OH 4542
tel: 1-800-749-9609 tel: 800-443-1160
free catalogue free catalog, pet supplies

Posh Pups of Venice Beach (7/94) Premier Pet Products
313 Ocean Front Walk 2406 Krossridge Road
Venice, CA 90291 Richmond, VA 23236
tel: 800-347-0567 tel: 800-933-5595
distinctive dog hats, clothing and wholesale only
accessories. send SASE for brochure.

Pro Kennel Supply (1/93) Ray Allen Manufacturing Co. Inc.
P.O. Box 25226 P.O. Box 9281
Little Rock, AR 72221 Colorado Springs, CO 80932-0281
tel: 1-800-762-7049 tel: 1-800-444-0404 orders only
staffed M-Sa 7-9, central time 1-719-633-0404 cust. service
for the hunting kennel working dog supplies (schutzhund,
obed. ring, etc.)

Remembrance Memorials
James Cuddeback
1379 Burcham
East Lansing, Michigan 48823
E-Mail ab...@leo.nmc.edu
Handcrafted earth urns (for remains),
tiles of remembrance (home/garden/office)
Inquire for more information.

Rae's Harness Shop RC Steele (1/93)
1524 E. Dowling Rd. 1989 Transit Way
Anchorage, Alaska 99507 Box 910
tel: 1-800-594-2262 Brockport, NY 14420-0910
Sled dog supplies tel: 1-800-872-3773 to order,
1-800-424-2205 in canada,
Solo Pet Door (3/94) 1-800-272-0234 cust. service,
10431 Lemon Ave. Suite D123 1-716-637-1408 local
Alta Loma, CA 91737 staffed M-F 8-7:30,
tel: 909-989-9999 Sat 9-1, EST
electronic pet doors fax: 1-716-637-8244
for both dogs and cats any size wide array of pet supplies,
good prices, $50 minimum order

Sheltie Specialties, etc. Springer (3/94)
6711 Shamrock Glen Allenfarm
Middleton, WI 53562 1627 Union Street
(608) 836-5033 Bangor, ME 04401
Catalog full of sheltie items. tel: 800-BIKE-K9s
bike attachment for safely
exercising dog, $49.95

Rover Vinyl-Tech Industries (3/94) Sound Dog Productions
20 Kiji Dava PO Box 27488
Sundog Industrial Park Seattle, WA 98125-2488
Prescott, AZ 86301 tel: 1-206-547-7877
tel: 800-658-5925
fax: 602-776-7001
safe barrier gates to block
doorways, etc, plus dog beds
free brochure

Tails X-press (7/93) T.F.H. Publications, Inc. (1/93)
974 Terminal Way P.O. Box 27
San Carlos, CA 94070 Neptune, NJ 07753
tel: 1-415-347-0144 (service) tel: 201-988-8400
wide variety of dog stuff, not books
discounted, some unusual things

Tun-Dra Outfitters UPCO (3/94)
16438-96th Ave. PO Box 969
Nunica, Michigan 49448 St. Joseph, MO 64502
tel: 616-837-9726 tel: 800-444-8651
staffed: M-Sa 9-7, Su 1-5 fax: 816-233-9696?
sledding and etc. supplies free catalogue, pet care items

Valley Vet Supply (3/94)
PO Box 504
Marysville, KS 66508
tel: 800-531-2390
free catalog and variety of supplies

Wholesale Pet USA Wooly Woofers (5/94)
975 Ford Street 53 Oakland St.
Colorado Springs, CO 80915-3760 Fall River, MA 02720
tel: 1-800-444-0404 orders, tel:
staffed M-F 8-5 Sa 8-noon notecards, prints, transfers
fax: 1-719-380-9730 send SASE & breed for sample
general dog supplies; some cat
and small animal products

Working Breeds, Etc. (1/93) Yuppie Puppy Pet Care, Inc
4739 Bonnie Branch Road New York, NY 10010
Ellicott City, MD 21043 tel: 212-877-2747
equipment for obedience, K-9
and Schutzhund

B. Magazines.

Anthrozoo:s
A somewhat scholarly multidisciplinary
journal that focuses on the role of pet
animals in our lives and in our world.

AKC Hunting Test Herald (8/92) The Canine Chronicle (9/92)
Robin Rolt, Editor Court Square Tower
372 Wildwood Ave. 605 Second Avenue N. Suite 203
Worcester, MA 01603 Columbus, MS 39701
508-798-2386 601-327-1124
A new magazine, free sample 601-327-9750 fax
available on request. For retrievers, $55 6 months, $80 1y, $135 2y
pointers and spaniels. monthly

Dog Fancy (3/94) Dogsports (3/94)
Subscription Department tel: 307-358-1000
PO Box 53264 opinionated editorials, otherwise
Boulder, Colorado 80323-3264 good articles on Schutzhund, ring
tel: 303-786-7306 sport, police work, SAR, etc
general dog magazine.
$23 for 12 issues a year

Dog World DSM PUBLISHING, INC.
PO Box 6500 (Dog Sports Magazine,
Chicago, IL 60680 K-9 Product News,
tel: 1-800-247-8080 Sea Meadow Products Co.)
dog magazine; overseas orders acceptable 940 Tyler Street, Studio 17
Benicia, CA 94510-2916 / USA
tel: 1-707-745-6897
fax: 1-707-745-4581

Front and Finish (3/94) Good Dog! (3/94)
P.O. Box 333 PO Box 31292
Galesburg, IL 61402-0333 Charleston, SC 29417
tel: 309-344-1333 tel: 1-800-968-1738
AKC-Obedience related information goodd...@aol.com
newspaper format $14.95/6 issues/year
product reviews and topical
columns. free samples available
Gun Dog
PO Box 343
Mt. Morris, IL 61054-0343
tel: 1-800-435-0715

Mushing Northeast Canine Companion
P.O. Box 149 P.O. Box 357
Ester, AK 99725-0149 Sudbury,MA 01776
This is an all season international canine club and magazine for
magazine for dog driving sports. folks in the NE US area

The Pointing Dog Journal Purebred Dogs/American
PO Box 936 Kennel Gazette (1/93)
Manitowoc, WI 54221-0936 5580 Centerview Dr., Suite 200
tel: 1-800-333-POINT Raleigh NC 27606-0643
overseas subscriptions accepted tel: 1-919-233-9780
all pointing breeds official AKC publication, lists
all AKC-approved shows & contains
variety of articles
the Shepherd's Dogge
Quarterly Journal of the Border Collie
Box 843
Ithaca, NY 14851-0843
tel 607-659-5868
$15/year, 4 issues
sheepdog culture & lore,
historic & contemporary

The Ranch Dog Trainer (7/93) TNT (1/93)
Route 2, Box 333 D-McG Publications
West Plains, MO 65775 8848 Beverly Hills
herding issues, etc. Lakeland, FL 33809
tel: 813-858-3839
magazine devoted to dogs in the
Toy Group

SHEEP! Magazine Today's Breeder
Rt. 1 PO Box 3427
Helenville WI 53137 Cincinatti, OH 45201
sheep herding

The Working Border Collie, Inc.
14933 Kirkwood Road
Sidney, Ohio 45365
tel: 513-492-2215
bimonthly on herding issues

C. Organizations.

American Boarding Kennel Association American Dog Owners Association
4575 Galley Rd., Suite 400A 1654 Columbia Turnpike
Colorado Springs, CO 80915 Castleton, New York 12033
tel: 719-591-1113 bimonthly newsletter; works to
promote responsible dog-ownership
and fights anti-dog legislation

American Humane Association American Kennel Association
5351 S. Roslyn Street American Kennel Towers
Englewood, Colorado 80111. PO Box 992
tel: 303-779-1400 Wilmington, DE 19889
an all breed canine registry

American Mixed Breed Obedience Registry
205 1st Street, S.W.
New Prague, MN 56071
parent breed club for mixed breeds
in the United Kennel club

American Rare Breed Association Canine Defense Fund
PO Box 76426 contributions used strictly to
Washington, DC 20013 fund legal battles against anti
202-722-1232 dog legislation

Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF) Mixed Breed Dog Clubs of America
South Campus Courts C c/o Phyllis Massa
Purdue University 1937 Seven Pines
West Lafayette, IN 47906 Creve Coeur, MO 63146
United States offers obedience titles of their
own (registered dogs must be
neutered).

National Association of Dog National Association of
Obedience Instructors (NADOI, Inc.) Pet Sitters
Gwen Coon, Sec'y 632 Holly Ave.
2286 E. Steel Road Winston Salem, NC 27101
St. John's MI 48879 tel: 919-723-PETS

National Dog Registry (NDR) New England Obedience News
PO Box 116 70 Medford Street
Woodstock NY 12498 Chicopee, MA 01020
tel: 1-800-NDR-DOGS offers All American Obedience
titles; similar to AKC rules;
open to mixed breeds

Tattoo-A-Pet (TAP) The Wolf Society of Great Britain
1625 Emmons Ave. Prospect House
Brooklyn, NY 11235 Charlton
tel: 1-800-TATTOOS Kilmersdon. Bath. BA3 5TN

[Cindy Tittle Moore]

Archive-name: dogs-faq/service
Last-modified: 29 Nov 1994

=======
The latest versions of these FAQ's may be found via the Web at
http://io.com/user/tittle/dogs-faq/homepage.html.

The multiple parts of the FAQ are all archived at rtfm.mit.edu

SERVICE DOGS.

A. Dogs for the Blind
B. Hearing and Signal Dogs.
C. Canine Companions for Independence.
D. Therapy Dogs.
E. Assistance Dogs International
F. More Information.

A. Dogs for the Blind

My thanks to Rusty Wright for the information on Guide Dogs.
Thanks also to Carla Campbell, who contributed substantial additional
information.

Dogs can be trained to guide blind people so that they are able to
negotiate the world otherwise unassisted. They serve as, quite
literally, the eyes for their owner. It is illegal anywhere in the
US, or Canada, or Britain, and most other countries, to deny a blind
person guided by a dog access to any public place. This includes
stores, restaurants, banks, and anywhere else that dogs might be
otherwise prohibited. The Americans with Disabilities Act in the US
is quite clear on this point. The training for such dogs is quite
demanding, as the dog must be able to navigate sidewalks, streets,
stairs -- avoiding all obstacles, including overhead ones that may
injure its owner (but not itself). They must be able to ignore all
distractions while doing their work.

Most commonly referred to as "Seeing Eye Dogs" or "Guide Dogs," there
are in reality many organizations in the US that provide guide dogs
for blind people. However, while Guide Dogs for the Blind is on the
west coast (along with Guide Dogs of the Desert and Guide Dogs of
America, both in southern California, and Eye Dog Foundation in
Arizona) and The Seeing Eye (among many others) is on the east, nearly
all 15 schools in the United States serve people nationwide. In fact,
people can obtain a dog from any of the schools, save five (which
serve only their own geographical regions), and many dogs from The
Seeing Eye, Leader Dogs, Guiding Eyes and the other schools work on
the west coast, while many dogs from Guide Dogs for the Blind work all
around the country. Geographical location is only one factor in
selecting a guide dog training school to attend, and rarely is it the
most important.

This is not the case in all countries with multiple guide dog training
facilities. In the U.K., for example, the Guide Dogs for the Blind
Association (GDBA) operates several regional centers, and sends its
applicants to the center nearest their home for training. All these
regional centers are "branches" or "campuses" of the GDBA, unlike the
diverse American dog guide schools, which are completely independent
from one another. Unlike American schools, the GDBA's regional
training centers are centrally controlled, operating under the same
set of policies, drawing from the same budget and using the same
training methods. In the United States and Canada, no school yet has
any "branches" or presence outside their central facility. Guide Dogs
for the Blind may soon be the first US guide dog training program to
operate two facilities under the same administration, when its new
"campus" is opened in Oregon sometime in the 1990's.

The breeds used are yellow and black Labrador Retrievers and German
Shepherd Dogs, usually. Others can be used, such as Golden
Retrievers, but usually the centers prefer to use dogs with a high
recognition potential and some breeds simply seem to be better at
being trained for guide service.

The breeds most commonly used as dog guides are Labrador Retrievers,
Golden Retrievers and German Shepherd Dogs. Approximately 60-70% of
all working guides in the U.S. are Labradors. (Yellow, black and
chocolate labs are all used, though most Labradors used as guide dogs
are yellow or black labs and some schools specifically do not use
chocolates.) Other breeds, such as Boxers, Flat and Curly Coated
Retrievers, Border Collies, Huskies, Doberman Pinchers, Rhodesian
Ridgebacks, Australian Shepherds, German Short-Haired Pointers,
Dalmatians, and even Standard Poodles are occasionally used by some
programs. Flat-coated Retrievers, in particular, appear to be gaining
popularity with guide dog training establishments. Crosses of many of
these breeds are also used, by some schools, with Lab-Golden, Lab-GSD
and GSD-Huskie crosses most common. (In Britain and Australia,
Labrador/Golden and Labrador-Poodle crosses ("Labradoodles") are
frequently used as guides, and far more crosses are used, in general,
than by the U.S. schools.)

Some centers have their own breeding programs, such as Guide Dogs;
others use local breeders. The trend does seem to be toward
proprietary breeding programs, although many of the stock, if not used
as guide dogs will also compete in the more usual kennel club events.
For example, CH Lobuff's Bare Necessities (black Labrador Retriever)
was bred by the Guide Dog Foundation for the blind and is producing
puppies for both the ring and the foundation.

Labs, Goldens and Shepherds are most popular as guides due to their
temperament, intelligence, versatility, size and availability. Dogs
trained as guide dogs must be intelligent, willing workers, large
enough to comfortably guide in harness and small enough to be easily
controlled and fit comfortably under restaurant tables and on buses
and other forms of public transit. The three common breeds used for
this work were selected because a large number of individuals of these
breeds met the requirements necessary for a good guide dog and these
breeds could most easily be matched with the widest range of blind
people and their needs in a guide. Additionally, these three breeds
are popular in the United States and obtaining them for training or
supplementing breeding stock has proved easier than obtaining less
common, but perhaps equally suitable breeds.

Families who raise the puppies simply train them in basic dog
obedience, and stress lots of socialization and good manners. For
example, if you go to a dog show, you are likely to see several such
puppies there, learning to take it all in stride. The dogs go back
for their formal training when they're about 1.5 years old, although
they can go back as young as 1 year old.

Children are usually preferred as puppy raisers, hence many coordinate
with 4-H programs. Interestingly enough, the puppies raised by kids
are more likely to make it through the formal guide dog training. The
difference is not drastic, but is "significant." Volunteer puppy
raisers are encouraged to expose their charges to as many new
experiences as possible, observing the pups' reactions and providing
positive reassurance and security for the puppies as they experience
crowds, cars, strange buildings, other animals and much more. They
also teach the dogs some of the basic obedience commands such as "sit"
and "down," but the dogs' instructors will insure that the dogs know
these and other obedience commands in addition to instructing them in
guide work, itself.

When dogs go back for their training they're carefully screened for
any hip abnormalities and other health problems. If the hips aren't
very good they're immediately "retired." The formal training takes
about 6 months.

Dogs can fail for a variety of reasons. As you might guess, some dogs
don't transition well from living in a puppy raiser's home to living
in the kennels and others just get stressed out and fail. The puppy
raiser gets the option of keeping a dog that failed. If the puppy
raiser can't keep the dog they can place it in a home. Waiting lists
for such dogs are usually several years long!

Before a guide dog is given to a blind person the blind person must
usually attend training at center. This training is several weeks
long and during this time the blind person will live on site. People
coming back to get a replacement dog usually take a "refresher" class.

A few smaller programs conduct "in home" training, in which an
instructor brings a trained dog to the student and trains the team in
their own home area. This is the most rapidly growing area of dog
guide training, with three new home training programs started since
1990. Most of these programs are small 1-2 trainer operations and do
not ever plan to serve as many people as the residential programs
can. All home training programs currently limit their service to their
own region of the country, serving only those applicants in their own
and neighboring states.

There are pros and cons to both types of training, and they serve
people with different needs and expectations. The majority of guide
dog handlers still choose to attend class at a residential training
facility to receive and train with their dogs.

There are, in addition to residential training schools and home
training programs, a few private trainers of dog guides and a few blind
people who train their own guides.

There are 15 established programs in the US which train dog guides for
the blind (as well as several in Canada and in other countries around
the world, of course.) Of these, Fidelco, Southeastern, two new
schools in New York state, (Upstate Guide Dog association and Freedom
Guide Dogs), and a very recently established program in Oregon
(Northwest Guiding Eyes) serve only people from their own "region."
The rest serve anyone from the United States or abroad.

References

Pfaffenberger, Clarence J. _The new knowledge of dog behavior_.

Foreword by J. P. Scott. Consultant on genetics: Benson E. Ginsburg.

New York, Howell Book House, 1963.
Gives an excellent history of how Guide Dogs was started, and has
other interesting information.

Pfaffenberger, Clarence J., et al., with the editorial assistance of
Sarah F. Scott. _Guide Dogs for the Blind, Their Selection,
Development, and Training_. Amsterdam; New York: Elsevier Scientific
Pub. Co.; distributors for the U.S. and Canada, Elsevier/North
Holland, 1976.
Many specific details on the genetics, training, 4-H project

coordination, and so forth. Includes a history of the organization.

Harrington, Paula. _Looking ahead: Guide Dogs for the Blind_. 1st ed.
San Rafael, CA: Guide Dogs for the Blind, c1990.
This one is sort of a "coffee table" book; lots of nice color
photographs, and it covers the history of Guide Dogs, the training
(both for the dog and the blind person), the 4-H puppy raisers, and
lots of other stuff.

B. Hearing and Signal Dogs.

Other dogs are trained to assist deaf people. They alert their owner
to a variety of sounds, usually by coming up to the person and going
back to the source of the sound. They will signal on door bell and
knocking, phones, smoke alarms, crying babies and much more. In the
US, they enjoy the same rights of access as guide dogs and are to be
permitted anywhere, although since they are not as widely recognized,
their owners often have to display an identification card.

There are several organizations that train hearing dogs; CCI (below)
is one of them. Others (I cannot vouch for the accuracy of the
addresses except where noted):

* American Humane Association, 5351 S. Roslyn Street, Englewood,
Colorado 80111. (303-779-1400.
* Audio Dogs, 27 Crescent Street, Brooklyn, New York 11208.
212-827-2792.
* Dogs for the Deaf, Applegate Behavior Station, 13260 Highway 238,
Jacksonville, Oregon 97530. 503-899-7177.
* Guide Dog Foundation, 371 Jericho Turnpike, Smithtown, New York
11787. 516-265-2121.
* Hearing Dog, Inc., Agnes McGrath, Director; 5901 E. 89 Ave.,
Henderson, Colorado 80640. 303-287-3277 (voice/tty).
* NEADS (New England Assistance Dog Service), P.O. Box 213, West
Boylston, Massachusetts 01583. 508-835-3304 (TT/voice). Verified
May '92.
* San Francisco SPCA, Hearing Dog Program, 2500 16th Street, San
Francisco, CA 94103. 415-554-3020. Verified March '92.

An organization that teaches deaf people to train their own dogs:

* Handi-Dogs, Inc., PO Box 12563, Tucson, Arizona 85732. 602-326-3412
or 602-325-6466.

The National Information Center on Deafness at Gallaudet University,
publishes a fact sheet on hearing ear dogs. It can be obtained by
sending $1.00 to NICD, Gallaudet University, 800 Flordia Ave., NE,
Washington, DC 20002. The fact sheet discusses commonly asked
questions about hearing ear dogs and it lists training programs
across the U.S.

C. Canine Companions for Independence.

CCI was founded in 1975. They estimate that each of their dogs takes
about $20,000 to train, a cost covered by donations and volunteer
work. It is a national-wide organization with many regional chapters.

National Headquarters NW Regional Center
4350 Occidental Road 1215 Sebastopol Road
P.O. Box 446 Santa Rosa, CA 95407-6834
Santa Rosa, CA 95402-0446 707-579-1985 V/TDD
702-528-0830 V/TDD

SW Regional Center SE Regional Center
P.O. Box 8247 P.O. Box 547511
Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067-8247 Orlando, FL 32854-7511
619-756-1012 V/TDD 407-682-2535 V/TDD

NC Regional Center NE Regional Center
4989 State Route 37 East P.O. Box 205
Delaware, OH 43015-9682 Farmingdale, NY 11735-0205
614-548-4447 V/TDD 516-694-6938 V/TDD

This organization is involved in training dogs to assist handicapped
people. They train signal dogs for the deaf, and dogs for physically
disabled or developmentally disabled persons.

Canine Companions for Independence has provided highly skilled
assistance dogs for people with disabilities since 1975. CCI started
as a small, at-home organization and has grown into a dynamic
non-profit agency with five regional centers nationwide.

A Canine Companion's specialized training starts in a volunteer puppy
raiser's home. The puppy raiser is responsible for the young dog's
care, socialization, and the teaching of basic commands. At 1.5 years
of age, the dog is returned to a CCI regional training center for
eight months of advanced training by a professional CCI instructor.
The dog is then ready for an intensive two-to-three week training camp
where its new owner learns to work with a fully trained dog.

It costs more than US$20,000 to breed, raise, and train each Canine
Companion, yet recipients pay only a US$25 application fee and US$100
for training seminar supplies. The dog is provided completely free of
charge. CCI depends entirely on donations; it does not receive
government funds. CCI also relies heavily on the dedication of its
many volunteers, who play a vital role in CCI's mission to provide
exceptional dogs for exceptional people.

The breeds CCI uses for service and social dogs are black and yellow
Labs, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, and Lab/Golden Retriever
mix. CCI is moving away from using German Shepherds for two reasons:
first, a lot of the public view (and fear) German Shepherds as
"police" or "guard" dogs, and second, German Shepherds bond very
strongly to people and the program is difficult on them because first
they form a strong bond to their puppy raiser, then to their trainer
when they go back to CCI, and then to their eventual handicapped
owner. For signal dogs they use Corgis and Border Collies.

CCI will work with people in need of assistance to determine if a
properly trained dog can provide that assistance. Dogs can be taught
to retrieve a variety of things -- even to distinguish between
specific items -- and to manipulate a variety of objects. Monkeys
have been tried for this purpose, as they are more dexterous.
However, they are not as reliably trainable and are very expensive, so
dogs present a much more practical alternative. Given some
extensions, such as rope handles on doors and light switches, dogs can
give a disabled person complete mobility within her or his home.

CCI finds and trains a variety of dogs for different forms of
assistance: hearing dogs, physically disabled assistant dogs, even as
therapy dogs. They are all neutered, as with guide dogs. People who
are to receive one of the dogs are required to attend a two-week
seminar to learn how to communicate and care for their assistance. As
needed, the people and their dogs are provided with permits that
identify the dogs as licensed canine companions -- this is enough to
gain entry into most places, as with the more well-known Seeing Eye
dogs.

Similar organizations include:

Canine Helpers for the Handicapped Inc
Beverly Underwood
5705 Ridge Rd
Lockport, NY 14094
(716)433-4035, voice/tty

Canine Working Companions, Inc
Pat McNamara, Director
RD 2 Box 170
Gorton Lake Road
Waterville, NY 13480
(315)861-7770 voice/tdd

D. Therapy Dogs.

Dogs are quite often used in therapy. This ranges from visiting
hospitalized people to being a companion dog for mentally handicapped
or disturbed persons. There are a variety of groups that train
therapy dogs, some local and some national. Some use the AKC Canine
Good Citizen test to choose suitable dogs, others have devised their
own Temperament Tests.

A national organization that dispenses information about therapy dogs
is the Delta Society, PO Box 1080, Renton, WA 98057, (206)226-7357.

In addition many local humane societies, breed clubs, and obedience
clubs do some hospital visitation.

RESOURCES:

*_Therapy Dog_.
Therapy dog training. A good psychology book with gentle training
methods.

Harrington, Paula. _Looking ahead: Guide Dogs for the Blind_. 1st ed.
San Rafael, CA: Guide Dogs for the Blind, c1990.
This one is sort of a "coffee table" book; lots of nice color
photographs, and it covers the history of Guide Dogs, the training
(both for the dog and the blind person), the 4-H puppy raisers, and
lots of other stuff.

Pfaffenberger, Clarence J., et al., with the editorial assistance of
Sarah F. Scott. _Guide Dogs for the Blind, Their Selection,
Development, and Training_. Amsterdam; New York: Elsevier Scientific
Pub. Co.; distributors for the U.S. and Canada, Elsevier/North
Holland, 1976.
Many specific details on the genetics, training, 4-H project
coordination, and so forth.

Audio Dogs
27 Crescent Street
Brooklyn, New York 11208.
212-827-2792.

Canine Companions For Independence (CCI)
P.O. Box 446
Santa Rosa, CA 95402-0446
707-528-0830 V/TDD

Delta Society
(Information on Therapy Dogs)
PO Box 1080
Renton, WA 98057

Dogs for the Deaf
Applegate Behavior Station
13260 Highway 238
Jacksonville, Oregon 97530.
503-899-7177.

Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation
P.O. Box 142
Bloomfield,CT 06002
203-243-5200

Guide Dog Foundation
371 Jericho Turnpike
Smithtown, New York 11787.
516-265-2121.

Handi-Dogs, Inc.
PO Box 12563
Tucson, Arizona 85732.
602-326-3412 or 602-325-6466.

Hearing Dog, Inc.
Agnes McGrath, Director
5901 E. 89 Ave.,
Henderson, Colorado 80640.
303-287-3277 (voice/tty).

New England Assistance Dog Service (NEADS)
P.O. Box 213
West Boylston
Massachusetts 01583.
508-835-3304 (TT/voice).
Verified May '92.

San Francisco SPCA
Hearing Dog Program
2500 16th Street
San Francisco, CA 94103.
415-554-3020.
Verified March '92.

E. Asistance Dog International (ADI)

ADI is a non-profit organization which is an association of other
non-profit organizations which do training for hearing and mobility
assist dogs. They are working on a test for street certification for
the hearing and mobility assist dogs. The idea is to come up with a
test that can be the standard for the US rather than having each
state/county having different standards. They also have information
on many training organizations in the US. They check out reports of
problems with assist dog trainers (read rip off artists).

ADI addresses

President

Robin Dickson (503) 826-9220
Dogs for the Deaf, Inc (ALSO ACTIVE IN)
10175 Wheeler Road
Central Point, OR 97502

Secretary

Sheila O'Brian (508) 835-3304
p.o. box 213
West Boylston MA 01583

Newsletter for ADI

Micheal Roche (303) 234-9512
p.o. box 150217
Lakewood, CO 80215

F. More Information.

* Cen/SHARE (Center for the Study of Human-Animal Relationships and
their Environments) is a privately & publically funded center
utilizing faculty from Vet Med and Psychology. They do quite a
bit of research and education, including studies of service dogs
and their owners. The director's name is Geraldine Gage. Her
phone number is 612-625-5741. The associate director is Dr.
Joseph Quigley at 612-626-0835. The mailing address is 80 Ford
Hall, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455.

"Social acknowledgements for children with disabilities: effects of
service dogs." Bonnie Mader, et.a.l. Child Development 60:6,
p1529-34.

And one more...."The Animal Preference Test and its relationship to
behavioral problems in young children." E.B. Rojas, et.al. Journal of
Personality Assessm ment 57:1, p141-8.

Pflaumer, Sharon
Seizure-alert dogs
Dog World 77(l): 42-43, January 1992
(the article says you can contact Reina Berner, The Epilepsy Institute,
67 Irving Place, New York, NY 10003 where a program of seizure -alerting
dogs is being developed)

Mefford, Eleanor M
Bringing Up Baby
Dog World 77(2): 36-38,39 Feb, 1992
(article is about raising dogs to be used with young children suffering
from socialization problems and language abilities problems)

Ashby, Ann Gritt
Healing war's wounds
Dog World 77(7): 40-43, July 1992
(article is about using animals as therapy for mentally ill veterans)

[Cindy Tittle Moore]

Archive-name: dogs-faq/training
Last-modified: 29 Nov 1994

=======
The latest versions of these FAQ's may be found via the Web at
http://io.com/user/tittle/dogs-faq/homepage.html.

The multiple parts of the FAQ are all archived at rtfm.mit.edu

TRAINING YOUR DOG.

Prologue.
A. Questions About Training.
H. Comments on Obedience Training.
I. Attention.
J. Corrections.
K. Using Food.
L. Training and Corrective Collars.
M. Learning to Sit.
N. Down, Stay, Off.
O. Heeling.
P. Learning Recall.
Q. Beyond Basic Obedience.
R. Gaming Dogs.

Prologue.

First, you should understand that there are two components to

"training". There is the kind of training that solves *behavioral*

problems. There is also the kind of training that creates a
command-response pattern. It is perfectly possible to have a dog that
heels, sits, and stays perfectly and digs out all your marigolds.

Conversely, you may have a dog that does not destroy things in your
house but does not sit or heel. "Obedience training" does not
necessarily cover both of these aspects of training. In fact, they
usually just teach a command-response pattern and that's it. You need
to be aware of whether your dog needs behavior modification (where you
will have to find out the underlying reason why your dog digs and not
just put chicken wire over everything) or obedience training to
understand commands. Certainly, the two may be related: a dog that
digs because it is bored may become less bored with obedience training
and stop digging. It is important, however, to understand that the
dog stopped digging because it was no longer bored than because it now
knows how to heel. You will need to modify your approach, or select a
trainer to help you, with behavior vs. training in mind.

That said, good books on how to train your dog include:

Baer, Ted. _Communicating with Your Dog_. Barron's, New York. 1989.
ISBN 0-8120-4203-4 (oversized paperback).
Heavily illustrated with color photos. A sensible approach to
laying a good foundation for extensive obedience training (even if
you don't take the dog any further than what's outlined in here).
Simple instructions for teaching a 20-word language, with emphasis
on understanding and building on previous work.

Bauman, Diane L. _Beyond Basic Dog Training_. New, updated edition.

Howell Book House (Maxwell Maxmillan International), New York. 1991.
ISBN: 0-87605-410-6.
Emphasis is on training a "thinking" dog rather than a
pattern-trained dog. Extensive manual on obedience training.
Communication and understanding are discussed. A well known and
often recommended book.

Benjamin, Carol Lea. _Mother Knows Best: The Natural Way To Train

Your Dog_. Howell Book House, New York. 1985. ISBN 0-87605-666-4.
$15.95 hardcover.

She uses praise, contact, play and toys to motivate puppies, but she
does not recommend food training a young puppy. She does recommend
crate training and she also recommends sleeping in the same room
with the puppy. She provides methods to teach no, OK, good dog, bad
dog, sit stay heel, come, down, stand, go, enough, over, out,
cookie, speak, take it, wait and off to puppies. She talks about
canine language and talks some about mental games you can play with
your dog such as mirror games, and copying your dog and having him
copy you, chase games and even playing rough with your puppy.
Most training methods rely on the foundational relationship between

an owner and his dog, and this book provides some ideas on

establishing that relationship while the puppy is still young.

Brahms, Ann and Paul. _Puppy Ed._. Ballantine Books. 1981.
ISBN:0-345-33512-0 (paperback).
Describes how to start teaching your puppy commands. This is a
thoughtful book that discusses in practical detail what you can and
cannot expect to do with your puppy in training it. They stress
that by expecting and improving good behavior from the start, later,
more formal training goes much easier.

Burnham, Patricia Gail. _Playtraining Your Dog_. St. Martin's Press,

175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010. c1980. ISBN 0-312-61691-0
(trade paperback).
An excellent book that describes how to use play to motivate your
dog through obedience training. She focuses on how to teach each
exercise in the AKC Novice, Open, and Utility classes. Her
philosophy, though, lends itself to any type of training. Well
written and informative. For you greyhound lovers, all her dogs and
inside photos are of greyhounds.

Strickland, Winifred G. _Expert Obedience Training for Dogs_. Third

revised edition. Howell Book House (Macmillan Publishing Company),

New York. 1987. ISBN: 0-02-615000-X (hardcover).

Strickland is a well known dog trainer. Covers all aspects of
training and competition including the formal training for AKC
obedience trials (novice, open, utility, tracking). Includes some
general care (health and feeding) tips. Author has also written
_Obedience Class Instruction for Dogs_.

Tucker, Michael. _Dog Training Step by Step_.
Tucker is an ex GDB instructor and his books are easy to read and
follow. His others are _Dog Training Made Easy_, _Solving Your Dog
Problems_.

A. Questions about Training.

1. "I trained my dog to do all these things and now he won't do them!"

This is typical. Think of adolescent rebellion in teenagers. First
your dog learned and obeyed your commands because you were
unquestionably the leader. Then, while your dog understood what the
command was, it was older and decided to test you. This is where
corrections become crucial. If you pass this struggle (and it varies
with the individual dog), you will generally get past this hump,
although each individual command may go through a mini-sequence like
this.

2. "How long will it take me to finish training my dog?"

You should not think of training as consisting of some fixed set of
exercises after which the dog will always be "trained." Training is
ongoing. Dogs being what they are, they will take advantages of
lapses in training behavior. If you train your dog to stay off the
couch and then subsequently forget or stop correcting it for getting
on the couch, the behavior will not go away. You must continually
work with your dog on what it knows to reinforce it and keep the good
behavior. Thinking of training as a lifelong process does more to
ensure a well-trained dog & a happy owner than anything else.

B. Comments on Obedience Training.

There are a number of different training methods available. None of
these methods are perfect and none are guaranteed to work on your dog
(regardless of what it says on the cover). Each dog is different and
the interaction with its owner is unique. Some methods work better
than others for *you* and *your dog*. It will depend on your personal
preference (dogs are good at telling when you are hesitant or unhappy
with a particular technique) and your dog's temperament and ability.

People frequently disagree over which methods are "good" and even
which are "best." This kind of argument is fairly pointless, as the
effectiveness of each training method is subjective. Find one that
works for *you* and don't worry about criticisms. On the other hand,
suggestions to help overcome specific training problems may be what
you need and you shouldn't reject it out of hand because it's not in
the method you chose.

A good expert shouldn't reject any other methods out of hand; the
Monks in their books point out that readers should consult other books
as well. Being an expert doesn't mean being able to only use or do
one method. The more methods you look at and try, the better data
base you have to draw from. There are many methods for training dogs
out there.

What is best for your dog? This really depends on the temperament and
intelligence of your dog, and your own ability. There is no one
method that works for all dogs since breed and temperment play a
large part in your dogs reaction to any particular method.

Good results in obedience training require large doses of consistency,
good timing, and patience. You must be consistent: use the same word
for a particular command every time (e.g., don't use "Come" sometimes
and "Come here" other times). You must develop a fine sense of timing
when introducing new commands and later correcting behavior on learned
commands. Patience is needed: losing your temper is
counterproductive. Get the whole family to agree on the commands, but
have only one person train the dog to minimize confusion for the dog.

Establish a daily training period, preferably just before dinner. It
can be as short as twenty minutes, or longer. Establishing a routine
helps.

Don't expect overnight success. It can take up to two years of
consistent work, depending on the dog, for a properly trained dog.
(This is where the patience comes in!)

You must praise often and unambiguously. A smile won't do it. Give
abundant verbal praise, scratch your dog on the head, etc.

Try making the command word part of a praise phrase. In this case,
whenever your dog is in the desired heel position, you could say
something like "Good heel!" in a praising tone of voice. Note that
you only give the command *once* but that the command word is repeated
in the praise phrase for reinforcement. That seems to satisfy the
objective of the proponents of repeating the command (i.e. letting the
dog hear the command often) without actually repeating it as a
command. Further, because it is being said when the dog is doing it
right rather than during a correction the dog doesn't create any
negative association with the command as the latter is likely to
cause.

If you have a puppy -- don't wait! Enroll in a kindergarten puppy
class once its up on its shots. Don't wait until the pup is 6 months
old to start anything.

Training before "six months of age" is fine if you see the puppy
having fun with these lessons. Just remember to keep the lessons
short, don't loose patience when your puppy suddenly forgets
everything it ever knew, and give it plenty of time just to be a
puppy. In the long term, the time you spend with your puppy
exploring, playing together and meeting new people is probably more
important important than your short "training" sessions, but both
activities are very helpful.

Remember:

* Make it fun *for the pup*.
* Expect setbacks. Just because the pup understood what you meant
yesterday, doesn't mean he'll remember it today. This means
*lots* of repetition. Teach the basic commands: sit, stay, and
come for now.

You may find it well worth your while, especially if you are new to
training dogs, to attend obedience classes. Most places have local
training schools. Be sure to check up on these places. Call the
Better Business Bureau and your local SPCA for any specific complaints
registered with them. Especially check carefully places where you
ship your dog out to be trained: many of these places are suspect,
because YOU must also be trained to handle your dog. Beware of
advertising that claim LIFETIME warranties on the training, GUARANTEED
solutions, etc. It is best for you and your dog to go through
obedience training together, so that you both learn from each other.

No matter what kind of class you're looking for: from basic puppy
kindergarten for your little puppy to basic obedience for an older dog
to more advanced training for a dog that's already done some work,
you'll want to pick the class out carefully.

First and foremost, pick out a class where you are comfortable with
the methods and the trainer. If you don't start off with this
footing, learning anything positive from the class simply won't
happen.

Next look at the size of the class and how much time the trainer
spends with each person. Ideally, the smaller the class the better,
although for puppy classes you want at least four or five dogs since
socialization is an important part of the class. Does the trainer
allocate time outside of class for questions (either an extra several
minutes before or after class or giving you her phone number for
class)? What sort of guarantees do they offer? If they say your
pooch will be trained in six weeks permanently, no questions asked,
run do not walk away from this outfit. If, however, they offer
followup help after the class is over or offer a few extra classes for
specific problems after or during the class, this is a good outfit.

Check out what their policy is with aggressive dogs in class. It does
happen that one of the dogs attending the class frightens and
intimidates the other dogs. There should be a clause for dismissing
such a dog (or better yet, going into private training with it), or
having it muzzled and otherwise restrained to minimize disruption to
the class.

H. Attention

An important aspect of obedience training is getting your dog's
attention. Your dog will not perform as readily if it isn't paying
attention to you. There are a number of things you can do to get its
attention, and you should be sure to praise it for paying attention.

The Monks of New Skete stress this a lot in their book (with the
addition that in turn, you've got to pay attention to what your dog is
communicating to you during training). If there's one piece of
definitive advice about dog training this must be it.

1. Umbilical cords

Put your dog on a medium-to-short leash and tie it to your belt. Now,
go about the house on your ordinary business. Do not pay attention to
the dog. It will quickly learn to pay attention to you to determine
when you are going to get up and walk around, or where you are going.
This is an especially effective exercise with puppies and also lays a
good foundation for learning to heel later. Start with short periods
of time, say 15 minutes, and work up as your puppy gets older and more
familiar with this exercise.

2. Watching

If you look up and catch your dog watching you (this is different from
the staring contests mentioned above because the dog is not "staring"
at you when it is watching you move around), praise it.

3. Food in your mouth, spitting it at your dog

An excellent exercise for teaching attention. It gets the dog to
concentrate directly on your face, not your hands or pocket. Do this
as a separate exercise, until your dog understands that it must watch
your face. Also, DON'T let them pick up the food from the floor or
ground. If you do, they will learn that they don't have to catch the
treat. They can just wait and pick it up. And don't let them come
back later to clean up.

Do not, however, use food in general when obedience training. See
Using Food below.

4. Talking softly

Talk softly to your dog. It will have to pay more attention to you.
This is especially effective when younger, and is a good habit to get
into.

I. Corrections.

You should never correct when you yourself are upset, angry or
downright mad, especially at your dog. Good correction depends on
timing, a keen awareness of what the dog is thinking, and quick
switching between correction and praise, all of which are difficult
when you are upset. Stop the exercise until you regain your
equilibrium. You will have much difficulty training your dog if you
continually get mad while doing it. In fact, if you always or often
get mad when training your dog, someone else should train it. You
will get absolutely nowhere yelling at your dog.

1. Young puppies

The dictum "don't train before 6 months of age" doesn't make any sense
unless you're talking about the *correction* involved in formal
obedience training. If you think about it, you train your dog all the
time whether you realize it or not. Dogs are great at picking up your
body language and tone of voice. Even if you're not trying to train
them, they're "training" themselves using the clues we give them (and
many "problems" are classic cases of the dogs misunderstanding their
owner's signals).

If possible with a young puppy it is best to use the "correction" of
distraction. When you deny the puppy something, try to replace it
with a positive activity rather than just being negative and oppressive
all the time. Otherwise, limit your corrections to a verbal "no."

2. Older dogs

There comes a time in training any dog that it must do what you ask
just because you asked the dog to do it. You have been helping your
dog with this particular task for a while and you see the look in its
eye that says, "Yes, I know what you want, but I don't want to do that
right now." This is very different than the look that says, "Huh???"
You do have to know the dog you are training and be able to tell the
difference between these looks. That is just part of being a trainer,
and no one can really teach you this skill, but you do have to learn
it.

Always praise the dog immediately when it listens to your corrections.
Again, this gives the "jekyll and hyde" feel to dealing with your dog.
But it is very important to immediately praise your dog for listening
to you. This helps build confidence and keeps the dogs from having
that "hang-dog" look when performing.

3. Proofing

Proofing is a method where you make sure your dog understands a
command, *after* you have taught the dog the command. It isn't fair
to proof a dog on a command when it is still learning what it means.

For example, you teach your dog to stay. After making it stay in a
relatively distraction-free environment, you step up the pressure.
You throw balls up in the air and catch them, squeak toys, have
someone stand near your dog and talk softly to it. If your dog gets
up, gently put it back. If after doing this for a while, the dog
still gets up, then you start putting him back less gently, i.e.
taking your dog roughly by the collar and putting it back, escalating
to picking your dog up by the collar so that its front legs come off
the ground and VERY slowly putting it back in its place, escalating to
picking the dog up by its skin so that its front legs come off the
ground and VERY slowly putting it back. Some dogs get the idea more
quickly than others; stop your correction when it stays down.

When your dog passes this step, increase the pressure by throwing
balls all around him, bouncing them on the ground, etc. Also, someone
else should try to offer him food, make strange noises such as
clapping , barking like a dog, meowing like a cat, using toys or
things that make strange noises.

When your dog passes this step, increase the pressure by putting it on
a stay and having someone shout in a loud voice "ROVER, COME!" (do not
use your dog's name), "OK", "DOWN" (if doing a sit stay). If at home,
put him on a stay and go and ring the doorbell. It should take
several months (6-8) to work through all of these distractions and
care must be taken to not blow the dog's mind by putting him in a
situation that he is not ready for or by never letting the dog "win"
(i.e., successfully perform an exercise).

Always let the dog "win" on the last exercise in the session. That
is, end the sessions on positive notes, with much praise. This keeps
your dog interested in the work.

K. Using Food.

According to the last chapter of Diane Bauman's book _Beyond Basic Dog
Training_ there is more to dog training and to trainer-dog
relationships than just the dog performing for food and toys. The dog
should have a relationship with you and work to please you and work
for your praise. That should be the important thing in your training,
the relationship.

Remember, the goal in obedience is consistency. If you have a
hard-charging dog when you train with treats and toys, but have a
slow, depressed dog when you take the treats away, getting any kind of
consistent performance out of the dog will be VERY difficult. Sure,
with a slow dog you may loose a few points for lack of "Utmost
willingness" but if the dog does every sit correctly, every front
correctly and works confidently, you will still do well in the show
ring.

Further, there are many cases of dogs trained using these techniques
that are "ring-wise." They know they will not be corrected nor will
they be rewarded "properly" for their performance, so why should they
work?

L. Training and Corrective Collars.

There are several kinds of collars. There are the plain flat buckled
ones for everyday use available in a wide variety of colors, sizes and
fastners (from buckles to quick-release).

Note that puppies do not need corrective collars.

For training purposes, there are choke collars (also called training
collars), pinch collars and prong collars. Used properly, there is
nothing wrong with any of these collars, although they often look
rather alarming. The point is that these collars are for control, not
for pain infliction. Yanking savagely on these collars is
counterproductive; firm corrections get the point across without
injury. Try this experiment: wrap each of the collars around your arm
in turn and have someone experienced with corrections give a
correction to your arm.

To prevent your dog from injury from corrective collars, do not leave
them on when you are not around. Its usual collar should be a plain
flat bucked collar; save the choke and prong collars for actual
training and when you are around.

M. Learning to Sit.

Command, "Sit!". Pull straight up on your leash (do not jerk),
simultaneously push (do not hit) down on the dog's rump. After the
dog knows the exercise, a tap on the rump is appropriate if the dog
refuses to sit.

Another way is to have the dog focus on your hand. Say "sit," move
your hand over its head so that it must sit to keep it focused.
Praise it when it is sitting.

N. Down, Stay, Off.

One caveat is to be sure that you are consistent with "down" and
"off." Do not use them interchangeably, you will only confuse your
dog. "Down" should be the classic "lie down on the floor" command,
"off" needs to be "get all your paws on the ground (and off me or off
the chair) NOW!"

Traditionally, you start by putting the dog in a sit position. Then,
using your hand, or a toy, guide its nose down until it's in a down
position. Once it understands "down" try to eliminate the sit-down
sequence, or else your dog will start to "down" when you say "sit"!

O. Heeling

To make the process of learning to heel easier, start when your dog is
a puppy. Don't expect it to heel, but discourage from the beginning
any forging (lunging) or lagging on the leash. Keep the puppy focused
on you when on leash. This may mean constantly talking to your pup to
keep its attention. Pretty soon, you'll have a pup that stays pretty
close to you on leash and doesn't pull in any direction. The umbilical
cord approach suggested for attention can be a good way to start and
maintain this. Don't worry about "perfect heeling" for several months
yet; it is too much to ask of a puppy right away.

When you and your dog are ready to learn heeling, there are several
approaches to take.

* Try binding, where you have only a few inches of slack on your
leash. Hold the lead like a baseball bat handle, with your hands
almost on his collar. "Plaster" you arms against your body. When
you start off (with your left leg) tell him heel and hold him
right there at your side. If he pulls ahead, add pressure in the
lead backwards and say "get back". Once he stops pulling tell him
"good boy". Stop and do about four straight lines first (no turns
yet). Just counter any way he pulls with either "get back",
"get-up" "get-in" or "get out". When he is in the right spot,
tell him he's good. Just do a few short heels first and increase
length. As he learns where heel is, he should stop pulling then
you can let more leash out and do the same thing. If he starts
pulling again, go right back down to just a few inches.

* Put your dog on a 6 foot leash with either a choke collar (not
prong) or flat collar. Hold the loop of the leash in your right
hand and keep your hand against your waist. Loop the slack over
the thumb of that hand. Walk around the back yard and when your
dog walks past you and is not paying attention, turn 180 degrees,
drop the slack from the leash and RUN! Your Dog will get turned
around and will have to follow. As soon as the leash is slack
STOP moving. Say "good ," pick up the slack and walk around
the yard again. Whenever your dog goes ahead of you and it can't
see you, drop slack, turn and RUN again. Don't jerk the leash
like a correction. You want a constant pull and if you keep your
hand against your waist a jerk on the leash won't happen.

* Practice your foot work. Make sure you are clear with your
about-turns, left-turns and right turns. Bauman illustrates the
way to turn with photographs in her book. Being clear with your
turns helps clue your dog into when you are going to turn.

* Along with foot work is timing - count out loud "1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2"
and keep each pace the same length. When going slow it's "1 and 2
and 1 and 2" same length paces but at 1/2 time. Fast is "121212"
again but twice as fast and with the same length paces.

* Simple direction changes help as well: do an "about-face" turn
whenever the heel starts disintegrating. That way, your dog has
to stay closer to you to watch where you're going.

P. Learning Recall.

First of all, the golden rule of recall:

*******************************************
NEVER PUNISH YOUR DOG WHEN IT COMES TO YOU!
*******************************************

It will not want to come to you if it associates that with punishment.
*Always* praise a dog for coming to you. Remember its associative
powers are limited, and it will only understand that it was punished
for coming to you, regardless of what it just did before that.

1. Starting young

Understand that teaching a 1 year old dog the recall is not the ideal
situation. Your dog should be taught the recall by 4 months or so,
and when the dog is younger, it is much easier. By the time the dog
is a year old, and starting to exert its dominance, the recall should
be a well-established habit and a few relatively minor corrections
should re-establish that habit in case there are minor lapses.

2. On leash

Make a fun game of it, get your dog to understand what that command
is. With a puppy, call its name and "COME". Get down and open your
arms wide as your pup comes in to "funnel" it toward you. Make a big
fuss over it.

Sit your dog down, on a lead, and make it stay. Walk to the end of
the lead and say ", COME" and give it just a little pop and run
AWAY from your dog. As your dog gets to you, make it sit in front of
you. PRAISE, PRAISE, PRAISE!! Work on this way until your dog starts
coming before you can give the little pop. Then get a long lead (15
feet or so) and do the same thing. Then progress to letting it drag
the 15 foot lead around. Call your dog as you are working in the
yard, or doing other things. Always praise.

Make your dog sit every time it comes to you. This avoids the later
common problem of the dog running past you when you call it.

Only call your dog once. If the dog disobeys, don't call again,
just correct the dog.

Q. Beyond Basic Obedience.

It is, of course, beyond the scope of this article to discuss any more
advanced obedience exercises in any kind of detail. However, there
are many resources if you are interested in further obedience
training.

1. Classes

There are a number of classes, public and private, offered for more
extensive obedience training. Especially if you get to know an
experienced handler/trainer well, you can learn a lot from that
person.

2. Books

There are a several books available that devote a good deal of
discussion to training dogs, above and beyond what most dog books do.
These are:

Bauman, Diane L. _Beyond Basic Dog Training_. New, updated edition.
Howell Book House (Maxwell Maxmillan International), New York. 1991.
ISBN: 0-87605-410-6.
Emphasis is on training a "thinking" dog rather than a
pattern-trained dog. Extensive manual on obedience training.
Communication and understanding are discussed. A well known and
often recommended book.

Strickland, Winifred G. _Expert Obedience Training for Dogs_. Third

revised edition. Howell Book House (Macmillan Publishing Company),

New York. 1987. ISBN: 0-02-615000-X (hardcover).

Strickland is a well known dog trainer. Covers all aspects of
training and competition including the formal training for AKC
obedience trials (novice, open, utility, tracking). Includes some
general care (health and feeding) tips. Author has also written
_Obedience Class Instruction for Dogs_.

3. Magazines

Front and Finish
P.O. Box 333
Galesburg, IL 61402-0333
1-309-344-1333
Obedience related information.

4. Mailing list

There is an electronic mailing list devoted to dog obedience issues.
This is not for the novice, but for the person starting on advanced
obedience training, as well as those experienced with these
techniques. It is a good forum for discussing particular problems
that may come up in the course of training your dog. The list's
volume is moderate, with occasional peaks and valleys, depending on
how "hot" the current topic is. For more information, send email to
the list maintainer at obe...@reepicheep.gcn.uoknor.edu.

G. Gaming Dogs.

1. Flying Disk, aka Frisbee, Dogs

From: Andrew L Mouser

Flying Disc Dogs do more then fetch a flying disc. They do leaps,
weaves, vaults, takes and any variety of tricks imaginable.
Currently, there is only one association that titles competing flying
disc dogs; The Flying Disc Dog Association (FDDA). FDDA events are
usually held in conjunction with other events such as pet fairs and
shows, agility events, and other events where the added spectator
sport of these dogs are beneficial.

The format for competition involves 3 levels. Level 1 is the Timed
Toss & Catch (TTC), Novice Freestyle, and Advanced Freestyle. At all
levels, competitors generally supply the discs, which are required to
be free of defects and obstructions. Multiple discs are allowed with
the exception of the TTC where only 1 disc is allowed on the playing
field.

Timed Toss and Catch: In the TTC, each team is allowed 1 disc on the
playing field. With a time limit of 60 seconds, the handler/dog team
attempts to make as many tosses and catches as possible within the
time limit. Points are scored in relationship to the distance that
the dog catches the disc and whether the catch was on the ground
(OTG), where the dog is touching the ground with any part of his body
when the catch is made, or in the air (ITA), where the dog is
completely off the ground when the catch is made. Catches made 10-20
yards are worth 1 point OTG and 2 points ITA. Catches made 20-30
yards are worth 3 points OTG and 4 points ITA. Catches made 30+ yards
are worth 5 points OTG and 6 points ITA.

Novice Freestyle: In the Novice Freestyle, each team has a maximum of
90 seconds to perform a freestyle routine with a maximum of 10 discs
that consists of a minimum of the following compulsories; One ITA
catch of greater than 10 yards. A controlled retrieve where the dog is
placed on a down-stay or sit-stay until the disc comes to a complete
rest. An Out where the dog brings a retrieved disc and drops it in
front of the handler without any physical assistance from the handler.
A Through-The-Leg where the dog must run under and through the legs of
the arch made by the legs of the handler to catch a thrown disc. One
Back Over where the dog leaps over the back of the handler to catch a
thrown disc. Additionals are tricks that are added to the routine to
generate additional points to be added to the overall score.
Additionals may be any trick the team may desire to perform.

Advanced Freestyle: In Advanced Freestyle, each team has a maximum of
120 seconds to perform a freestyle routine with a maximum of 10 discs
that consists of a minimum of the following Compulsories; An ITA catch
of greater than 20 yards. A Mouth Take where the dog takes a disc
from the mouth of the handler. A Leg Vault where the dog catches a
disc with the added assistance of "vaulting" off the leg of the
handler. A Front Vault where the dog catches a disc with the added
assistance of vaulting off the front of the handler and going over the
handlers head (the handler may be in a kneeling position to compensate
for smaller dogs) to catch a thrown disc. A Back Vault where the dog
catches a disc with the assistance of vaulting off the back of the
handler and going over the handlers head with kneeling optional to
catch a thrown disc. A Back Over where the dog leaps over the back of
the handler to catch a thrown disc. A Back Flip where the disc is
thrown close and just over the head of the dog where the dog leaps in
the air, catches the disc, and lands in a position of 180 degrees or
greater from the starting position. One Butterfly catch where the
disc is thrown in such a way that the disc is spinning end-over-end.

Titles:

Flying Disc Canine (FC) - A dog may earn the title of Flying Disc
Canine after earning a minimum of 250 points in the Timed Toss and Catch
competition.

Flying Disc Canine Excellent (FCX) - A dog may earn the title of Flying Disc
Canine Excellent after completing 3 qualifying rounds of Novice Freestyle
competitions at 3 separate tournaments.

Flying Disc Canine Champion (FCCh) - A dog may earn the title of Flying Disc
Canine Champion after completing 3 qualifying rounds of Advanced Freestyle
competitions at 3 separate tournaments.

For more information write:

Flying Disc Dog Association
1471 LaSalle Street
Burton, Mi 48509

2. Scent Hurdling

As much fun for the owner as for the dog, scent hurdling is essentially
a variation on flyball (see faq on flyball).
Teams of four dogs race to jump hurdles, pick
up one of four balls (scented by each owner) and return.

[Cindy Tittle Moore]

Archive-name: dogs-faq/working
Last-modified: 29 Nov 1994

=======
The latest versions of these FAQ's may be found via the Web at
http://io.com/user/tittle/dogs-faq/homepage.html.

The multiple parts of the FAQ are all archived at rtfm.mit.edu

WORKING DOGS.

A. Schutzhund.
B. Search and Rescue Dogs.
C. Sled Dogs.
D. Herding Dogs.
E. Narcotics and Evidence Dogs.
F. Patrol Dogs.
G. Water Rescue Dogs.

A. Schutzhund.

Schutzhund dogs are generally considered working dogs, as many of them
are subsequently used as patrol dogs and guard dogs. My thanks to
Michael Sierchio and Victoria Janicki for this section.

Please note that the results of protection training depends heavily on
the temperament of the dog and the quality of the trainer. There are
enough bad trainers out there that you have to be very careful who you
choose. The best avenues for finding a good trainer are through a
Schutzhund club.

A dog that is unreliable around people will have a difficult time
passing a Schutzhund test. In order to enter for a Schutzhund I title,
the dog must have passed a the Begleithund test, which is a
combination of a CD and Canine Good Citizen test.

Protection work in itself does not make a dog mean. In order to do
protection work you must have a temperamentally stable dog. An
inappropriately aggressive dog is actually not a good candidate for
this work. You need a dog with confidence and good nerves. A nervous
or shy dog is a poor candidate because it can't take the stress of the
training. A protection dog needs both prey and defensive drives. An
unbalanced dog is very difficult to train because protection work is
the blending of both these drives to produce a calm, reliable dog that
understands the work.

A dog must be brought along slowly to build confidence and
understanding. A dog should not be hurt or frightened in order to
elicit aggression. If neither prey work or defensive postures elicits
a response, the dog either doesn't have the proper drives or it is not
mature enough to handle the work.

Some owners inappropriately encourage aggression in their dogs outside
of protection training. This is wrong. They sometimes do not keep the
control over the dog, often delighting in the macho behavior of their
dog.

Protection training will not change the dog's basic temperament. It
does give you a good view of the dog's total temperament under
stress. An edgy dog will always be edgy. A stable dog will always be
stable.

Not every dog has what it takes to do protection work. This is why a
schutzhund degree is required in Germany in order to breed a German
Shepherd.

1. What is Schutzhund?

Schutzhund is a German word meaning "protection dog". It refers to a
sport that focuses on developing and evaluating those traits in dogs
that make them more useful and happier companions to their owners.

Schutzhund is a dog training and breeding regimen developed originally
in the 20's by the Deutsches Shaeferhund Verein (German Shepherd Dog
Club), or SV, in order to maintain the working ability of the breed.
While the term Schutzhund means literally "protection dog", the
training involves work equally in tracking, obedience and protection.
In order to get a Schutzhund degree a dog must pass all three phases
of the work. Also, a working title (at least a SchH I) is required for
breed survey purposes, and in order to register an approved litter.

The first Schutzhund trial was held in Germany in 1901 to emphasize
the correct working temperament and ability in the German Shepherd
breed. SV, the parent club of the breed, developed the Schutzhund
test as a way of maintaining reliable dogs with traits suitable for
breeding.

Many countries and working dog organizations have also adopted
Schutzhund as a sport and test of working performance. International
rules have been established by the Verein fuer Deutsche Hundesport
(VDH). The first SchH trial in the U.S. was held in California in
1970. In 1987 the U.S.A. alone sanctioned nearly 300 trials with a
total entry of 1,800 dog/handler teams.

Many breeds now participate in addition to GSDs. While there may be
individual dogs of a particular breed that may be suitable for the
work, the following are most consistently able to perform: GSDs,
Belgian Malinois, Doberman Pinscher, Bouvier des Flandres, Rottweiler,
Tervuren, Boxer, Giant Schnauzer, etc. Generally, these are larger
working breeds with strong prey and defense drives, and temperaments
suitable for the tasks of the training. Under current rules fighting
breeds, such as Pit Bulls, Am Staffs, Bull Staffs, etc. are not
eligible to participate.

There are three major degrees awarded - SchH I, SchH II, and SchH III
-- in order of increasing difficulty. SchH I (IPO I) is the
apprentice test. A SchH III dog must demonstrate a high level of
performance, ability and courage.

The traits that make for a good Schutzhund candidate mostly are innate
characteristics that must be bred for. Even among dogs bred out of
Schutzhund bitches and dogs, a minority have the ability to reach even
SchH I, and a small percentage will have the necessary drive,
intelligence and hardness to achieve a Sch III title. In addition to
breeding, early development is important. The young pup should not be
subjected to strong corrections or experience being dominated by
another dog, and all training and play should end on a positive note,
with the pup "winning."

The IPO (International Pruefungsordnung) rules, under the auspices of
the FCI (Federation Internationale Cynologique), are similar to the
Schutzhund rules and the trials are run in the same manner, with the
exception that no evaluation of the fighting instincts, courage or
hardness of an IPO entrant is performed during the protection phase of
the trial.

(The following information on degrees and requirements is from the
United Schutzhund Clubs of America)

Degree Min Age

B Begleithunde 12 months
(Companion Dog)

FH Faehrtenhundpruefung 16 months
(Advanced Tracking Dog Test)

AD Ausdauerpruefung 16 months
(Endurance Test)

SchH A Schutzhund Examination A 18 months
SchH I Schutzhund Examination I 18 months
SchH II Schutzhund Examination II 19 months
SchH III Schutzhund Examination III 20 months

The maximum score in each of the three phases shall be 100 points.
Therefore, the highest possible score in a trial is 300 points. A
degree shall be awarded only if a dog achieves at least 70 points in
Tracking and Obedience, and at least 80 points in Protection.

[For the purposes of illustration, I have included the rules for SchH I
trials]

SCHUTZHUND A

The Schutzhund A Examination is composed of phases B and C of the SchH I
Examination. The conduct of the examination is the same except that the
tracking phase is omitted, and the maximum possible score is 200 points.
This training degree is not accepted under the rules for conformation
shows, breeding requirements or breed surveys.

SCHUTZHUND I

Phase A - Tracking

Tracking a 350-400 pace long trail at least 20 minutes old with two
articles on a 10 meter tracking lead, or tracking without a lead. The
track has two 90 degree turns. The handler lays the track as
indicated by the judge, placing the first article in the middle of the
first or second leg without interrupting the pace or changing the
stride. The second article is deposited at the end of the track.

The handler reports to the judge with the dog, and indicates whether
the articles will be picked up or pointed out. The dog and handler
proceed to the scent pad at the beginning of the track. Prior to
tracking, and during the entire tracking phase, all force or pressure
is to be avoided. At the start, the dog must be given sufficient time
to absorb the scent.

The dog must begin quietly and pick up the scent with a deep nose. As
soon as the dog begins to track, the handler must stop and let the
length of the 10 meter leash slip through his/her hands. The handler
now follows at the distance of 10 meters, whether tracking with a lead
or without.

Immediately upon finding an article, the dog must convincingly stop,
stand, sit, or pick up the article, or return it to the handler. If
pointing out, the dog must lie, sit or stay. By lifting the article
high in the air, the handler indicates to the judge that it has been
found. The tracking leash is loosely held as the dog and handler
continue on the track. The articles are presented to the presiding
judge after completion of the track.

A faulty start, excessive circling on corners, continued praise,
faulty picking up or pointing of the articles, dropping articles,
pronounced quartering, high nose, urinating or defecating on the
track, or hunting mice, etc. will be penalized.

Phase B - Obedience

Heeling on Leash and Impartiality - 15 Points

Starting from the basic heeling position, the dog and handler proceed
for 40 paces without stopping. A turnabout is performed, and after
10-15 paces a running heel followed by a slow heel, each of about 10
paces, are demonstrated. During a normal pace at least one left turn,
one right turn, and one left turnabout must be performed. A halt must
be performed after the turns and while the handler is moving straight.
A voice command is permitted only when starting the exercise, or when
changing pace. The judge will direct the handler through a group of at
least 4 people, amd the handler is required to stop at least once in
the group. The group is expected to mingle about.

Heeling off Leash - 20 Points

When requested by the judge, the leash will be removed while in the
basic position. The handler moves through the group with the dog
freely heeling. After demonstrating ar least one halt, the handler and
dog leave the group and perform the heeling exercises that were
performed on leash. While the dog and handler are performing the
off-leash exercises, at least 2 gun shots (6 - 9 mm) are to be fired
(not while moving in the group) and the dog must remain indifferent to
the noise. Special emphasis is placed on indifference to the gun. If
the judge deems the dog to be insecure or should the dog run from the
shot, the judge may excuse the dog from further participation.

Sit Exercise - 10 Points

From the basic heeling position the handler and free heeling dog
proceed in a straight line. After at least ten paces, the handler
issues the voice command to sit - the dog should quickly come to a sit
position. The handler shall continue for at least 30 paces without
interrupting pace or direction, then stop and turn around to face the
dog. At the direction of the judge, the handler returns to the right
side of the dog.

Down with Recall - 10 Points

From the basic heeling position the handler and free heeling dog
proceed in a straight line. After at least ten paces, the handler
issues the voice command to down - the dog should quickly come to a
down position. The handler shall continue for at least 30 paces
without interrupting pace or direction, then stop and turn around to
face the dog. At the direction of the judge, the handler shall recall
the dog. The dog should come to the handler with a spirited and swift
motion and sit close in front. Upon a "heel" command, the dog should
quickly come to a sit position next to the handler.

Retrieving an Article belonging to the Handler on Level Ground - 10
Points

The dog sitting freely next to the handler should, when given the
voice command, quickly move toward the article tossed approximately 10
paces away. The dog must immediately and quickly bring the article
back to the handler, and sit close in front. The dog must hold the
article until, after a brief pause, the handler issues the command to
let go. After the command to heel, the dog should come quickly to the
heel position. In place of an article belonging to the handler, a
dumbbell can be used -- however, balls, toys, etc. are not considered
personal articles.

Retrieving an Article belonging to the Handler over a 1 Meter High and
1.5 Meter Wide Brush Hurdle - 15 Points

The handler assumes a position at an acceptable distance in front of
the hurdle while the dog sits freely next to the handler. The article
is tossed over the hurdle. Upon voice command, the dog shall clear
the hurdle without touching it, pick up the article, return over the
jump and sit closely in front of the handler. The article must be held
by the dog until the handler removes it with the command to let go.

Go Ahead and Down - 10 Points

When requested by the judge, the handler and freely heeling dog
proceed a few paces in the designated direction. The command to "go
out" should be executed by simultaneously stopping and lifting the arm
to indicate direction. The dog must move at a fast pace at least 25
paces. The dog must lay down quickly upon voice command. At the
request of the judge, the handler proceeds to pick up the dog by
moving to the right side of the dog, commanding the dog to sit, and
then putting on the leash.

Long Down Under Distraction

Prior to the start of the obedience exercises of another dog, the
handler commands the dog into a down position at a spot designated by
the judge. The handler moves approximately 40 paces away within sight
of the dog. The handler remains quiet with his back to the dog. The
dog must remain in the down position without additional influences
from the handler until the other dog concludes the first 6 exercises.
The finish will be like the Go Ahead and Down, above.

Phase C - Protection

Search for the Helper - 5 Points

The helper is hidden in a position 40 paces away so that the dog must
make searching passes to the right and left, or vice versa. The
handler and dog must be out of sight when the helper moves into the
hiding place. At the request of the judge, the handler releases the
dog and gives the command to search towards the empty hiding place,
then towards the helper. The command "here" and the dog's name may be
used.

Hold and Bark - 10 Points

When the dog reaches the helper it should immediately and continuously
bark. The dog should not bother the helper by gripping or bumping.
The handler is to remain at a distance of approximately 25 paces. When
the judge indicates, the handler will pick up the dog and hold it
securely so that the helper can leave the hiding place.

Attack - 35 Points

A helper is directed to proceed to another hiding place at least 50
paces away. Upon directions from the judge, the handler will proceed
with a free heeling dog towards the hiding place. The handler is now
attacked from the front by the helper, who suddenly comes out of the
hiding place. No contact is permitted between the handler and helper.
The dog must immediately attack and demonstrate a firm grip. The dog
will be struck with a flexible, padded stick -- two blows will be
given on the flanks, thighs, or withers. Encouragement may be given
via vocal command. When requested by the judge, the helper stops the
aggression. The dog must independently release, or release his grip
upon receiving the command to "out". After receiving the command from
the judge, the handler will hold the dog by the collar.

Pursuit and Hold - 50 Points

The helper makes threatening gestures and runs away. After he has
gone about 50 paces, the handler sends the dog toward the helper and
remains standing still. The judge will instruct the helper to turn
around and run toward the dog when the dog is about 30 paces away.
Using aggressive and threatening motions, the helper will run toward
the dog. When the dog has taken a firm grip, the helper will press
the dog briefly without applying the stick, then cease resistance.
The dog must release, either independently, or after receiving the
command to "out". After the dog has let go, the handler will remain
standing without influencing the dog. Upon a signal from the judge,
the handler will approach the dog and helper at a normal pace. The
handler will order the helper to step back from the dog, and order the
dog to lay down. The helper will be searched and disarmed before
transport to the judge. The dog will be on leash during transport.
The handler will leave the area with the dog on leash.

The fighting drive, including courage and hardness, is to be
scrutinized during the entire protection phase. This will be rated as
pronounced, sufficient, or insufficient.

Only energetic fighting and a firm grip will allow a full score. A
dog that does not release after one command to let go, or who is not
under control of the handler, or who fails any exercise of the
protection phase cannot pass the test. If a dog fails a single
exercise, it will be excused from the remainder of the phase. No
deductions are made for a dog that alertly circles the helper.

2. References:

Schutzhund: Theory and Training Methods by Susan Barwig and Stewart
Hilliard. 1991 Howell Books ISBN 0-87605-731-8

Training the Competitive Working Dog by Tom Rose and Gary Patterson
1985 Giblaut Publishing Company 3333 S. Bannock, Suite 950, Englewood,CO
80110

The Rose book is getting obsolete, particularly the obedience section
(Tom now uses much more motivational techniques) but here is still
a lot of good theory and practical exercises.

B. Search and Rescue Dogs.

SAR comprises a large variety of abilities, some of which are covered
separately below. SAR varies by locale: searching for victims in
rubble (avalanches or collapsed buildings) is different from searching
wilderness/forest areas for a missing person. SAR is often linked
with local law enforcement, as SAR dogs can trail escaped convicts or
suspects from a crime scene.

1. Where to get started

It is best to affiliate with a reputable SAR organization. You may
even wish to join the reserves unit with your local law enforcement --
this entitles you to insurance protection, for example. Be picky
about finding a professional organization to join: there are many
wannabe clubs out there that would really just get in the way of an
actual SAR effort, and there is variability even with law-enforcement
groups.

There are some national groups and many states have their own
organizations (e.g., California's CARDA -- CAlifornia Rescue Dog
Association, WOOF -- Wilderness Finders, Inc., SSD -- Sierra Search
Dogs). An additional benefit is being able to learn from people
who've been at this for a long time: no book or self-training will
ever give you the valuable insights you can gain this way. These
types of organization will have their own certification and testing
processes. For example, WOOF requires dogs and handlers to be dual
certified -- wilderness AND disaster SAR.

A professional organization should have law enforcement liasons (or
even be part of the police force) as any search, even for a missing
person, has the potential for turning into a hunt for a felon. Some
organizations are put together from law enforcement reserve officers,
sometimes active duty officers. Others simply work closely with local
law enforcement. Cooperation for the protection of everyone is
essential.

Any dog can detect scent. Some are individually better at it than
others. Some breeds (especially the hounds) have been bred so that as
a class, they contain many more talented individuals. A dog's
conformation, structure and temperament will all affect its talent at
tracking or trailing. But the breed doesn't really matter, except for
serious and professional tracking. You can have fun with tracking on
your own. All you have to do is train your dog to follow its nose.
Some extremely practical information, whether or not you're serious
about SAR, to get started with can be found in:

Button, Lue. _Practical Scent Dog Training_. Alpine Publications,
Inc. 214 19th St. SE, Loveland, CO 80537. 1990. ISBN: 0-931866-47-2.
A step-by-step practical training guide for air scent, evidence
search, disaster search and the AKC tracking test. Starts with
young puppies. Well illustrated and methods extensively tested at
Los Alamos' Mountain Canine Corps.

2. Tracking and Trailing

There are two major ways to follow the trail of a person, although
they're really on two ends of a continuum. _Tracking_ is the process
where the dog follows the person's exact path. _Trailing_ is the
process where the dog follows the person's scent, which may or may not
approximate the path the person took because of factors affecting the
dispersal of scent such as wind and temperature. Contrary to popular
opinion, water does not disrupt a tracking or trailing dog, the dog
will simply cast around for your trail on the other side. In
addition, dogs can locate corpses in the water, so the theory that
water does not hold scent does not, well, hold water. Dogs can even
trail people in cars, from the scent that blows out of the window or
through the vents of the car.

Some common terminology: A Track Solid dog follows a track, and
usually the newest. A Track Sure dog will follow the track associated
with the scent he started with, and will not follow a track laid by a
different person as long as the second track was laid at a different
time. A Track Clean Dog will follow the correct trail even if it
crosses other trails laid at the same time. For example, for disaster
work (e.g., finding victims in rubble), dogs lead their handlers
towards any human scent from the rubble; this is "tracking solid." A
Bloodhound, given a scent article, will "track clean," finding that
same individual regardless of whatever crosses the track.

To start trailing a specific individual, the dog needs an
uncontaminated scent article. Best items are underwear, T-shirts, or
something that the person has directly handled. The scent article is
just as much evidence as the "smoking gun" is, unfortunately, many
people (including law enforcement folks) are still unaware of how to
use scent as evidence and often handle, and thus contaminate,
potential scent articles. Dogs can still get around this by doing the
"missing member" search: the dog takes note of which scent on the
article is not immediately present and searches for that person.

Traditionally, people think of SAR dogs hunting through forest or
wilderness for lost hikers or children. While this is still quite
true, SAR dogs also find escaped prisoners, lost [mentally impaired]
patients, lost children in the city or the suburbs, suspects fleeing a
crime scene. As a result, urban SAR is rapidly growing.

Bloodhounds are by far the best for performing difficult and long
trails. They are large (100-120 lbs), capable of covering great
distance, and their facial structure (loose skin) allows them to cup
and catch even the faintest scent. Their stubborn and patient
temperament allows them to stick with trails that are miles long.
Bloodhounds were originally bred for large prey, and have been used to
track people since about the 16th century. For smaller game, other
hounds were developed, with shorter legs and smaller size. These type
of hounds cannot cover trails as old or as long as the Bloodhound.

Labradors and German Shepherds are often used in tracking. They do
not do as well with older or longer trails, but are more than capable
of following trails within their limitations. Also because they can
work off leash better than the Bloodhound can, they can work more
rapidly if there is a need for haste.

3. Area search

Quite often no scent article is available. Dogs trained in area search
can be employed instead. These dogs air scent (that is, test the air
rather than follow a specific scent) and search for any human scent.
This is most often used in wilderness search for missing hikers or
campers. Patrol dogs will also use the technique to find anyone hiding
in a building or other confined area. Disaster search dogs (below)
also employ air scenting in their work.

4. Disaster search

Some SAR dogs are trained to search through rubble for people. In
this scenario, the dog is not finding a specific person, as is the
case with tracking and trailing. The dog is looking for any human
scent. Avalanches, collapsed buildings, airplane and train crashes
are all examples of sites where these kind of dogs are employed. Most
often, German Shepherds, Labradors, Belgian Sheepdogs, Malinois, and
similar sized breeds are used for this kind of work: these dogs work
well off leash (which Bloodhounds do not) and are suitably agile for
scrambling around in the debris (which Bloodhounds are not).

5. Cadaver search

Dogs can be trained to find cadavers, new or old. Some dogs are
employed on archeological digs to help locate old graves. Other dogs
are used by law enforcement to find recently dead people, or to
collect all the bones found in an area. Others find drowning victims.
This is a rapidly expanding field, with new methods of training
currently being developed.

6. Related testing

Many SAR organizations will put together mock disaster sites and
evaluate dogs sent over the sites. There are no standards or anything
like that except within a particular organization.

For tracking and trailing, AKC and ABC (American Bloodhound Club) have
a series of titles in tracking (TD, TDX) and trailing (MT, MTX). ABC
is negotiating with the AKC to add the trailing titles to its standard
set.

7. References

American Rescue Dog Association. _Search and Rescue Dogs_. Howell
Book House, 1991. ISBN 0-87605-733-4.
ARDA outlines their philosophy and methods for SAR. This book is
excellent for an understanding of the depths of committment and work
to be a SAR volunteer. It is a compilation of notes made over a
thirty year period; consequently some of the information is out of
date. There are two main deficiencies in this book. The first is a
bias toward the German Shepherd Dog, such that they actually refuse
to use any other breed; the second is a seemingly cavalier disregard
for the consequences of deliberately searching for cadavers with SAR
dogs, when such dogs should always search for live scent
(particularly for disaster work).

Bryson, Sandy. _Search Dog Training_. Third printing. Boxwood
Press, 183 Ocean View Blvd., Pacific Grove, CA 93950. 1991 (c 1984).
ISBN: 0-910286-94-9.
A well organized, comprehensive discussion of search dog training.
Includes practical tips, discussion of search and rescue and the law
and many other topics.

Davis, L. Wilson. _Go Find! Training Your Dog to Track_. Ninth

printing, 1984. Howell Book House, Inc., New York. c1974.

ISBN: 0-87605-550-1 (hardcover).

Blurb: "Major L. Wilson Davis is America's recognized authority on
Tracking -- named in September 1973 to the Obedience Advisory
Committee of the AKC as its official consultant on Tracking and
scent training for dogs. This official status follows upon decades

of recognized achievement in these phases of Obedience training.

Following distinguished service with the K-9 Corps during WWII, he
has been active in the Governmnent's program of using trained
tracking dogs for the recovery of detonated missile parts in missile

experimentation. Major Davis was an AKC licensed judge for all

classes of Obedience. He is presently training director of the
famous Oriole Dog Training Club of Baltimore. He organized and
headed the Baltimor City K-9 Corps, one of the finest in the
country, and is often asked to lecture and advise police departments
on the use of tracking dogs in law enforcement. Major Davis is a
recipient of the Quaker Oats Distinguished Service Award for his
dedicated contributions to dog training."

Pearsall, Milo D. and Hugo Verbruggen, MD. _Scent: Training to Track,

Search, and Rescue_. Alpine Publications, Inc., Colorado. 1982.
ISBN: 0-931-866-11-1.
Blurb: "The authors first look at the scientific qualities of scent
-- what and how dogs smell and how environmental factors affect the
track. Then they use this background as a basis for training.

Topics include the science of scent, kindergarden puppy tracking,

tracking equipment, tracking tests, training to search, search and
track, search and find, search and rescue, trail companion, scent
and the law enforcement agency, first aid on the trail and much more."

Tolhurst, William D. with Lena F. Reed. _Manhunters! Hounds of the

Big T_. Hound Dog Press, 10705 Woodland Avenue, Puyallup, WA 98373.

1984. ISBN: 0-9617723-0-1 (hardcover).

Tolhurst is a Search and Rescue volunteer in upstate New York. This

book recounts his experiences using Bloodhounds in trailing. Many

fascinating stories. Tolhurst includes a section on training a dog
to locate dead bodies.

C. Sled Dogs.

My thanks to Stephen Lee for this section.

1. History

Prior to the formation of sled dog racing as a formal sport, sled dogs
were bred and used by native peoples of the polar regions of the world
in their everyday lives for survival in harsh climates. Two dogs
commonly employed in sledding are Alaskan Malamutes and Siberian
Huskies. These two breeds had quite different origins and uses.
Alaskan Malamutes originated with a group of Eskimo people known as
the Mahlemiut. The dogs of that time were very large freighting dogs,
capable of pulling heavy weight. The Mahlemiut people inhabited the
region in the upper part of the Anvik River in Alaska, and were spread
out over a large area. The Mahlemiut people used these dogs for
hauling food back to the villages. The gold rush in 1896 created a
high demand for these dogs. On the other hand, Siberian Huskies
originated with the Chuckchi people of northeastern Siberia. These
people had a Stone Age culture and used their dogs for a variety of
things, like herding reindeer and pulling loads. These dogs were
smaller and faster than their Mahlemiut counterparts. These dogs were
exported to Alaska at around the time of the gold rush. Thus the gold
rush played a very important role in the development of our modern day
sled dog breeds.

Sled dog racing began as a formal sport with the first All-Alaska
Sweepstakes race in 1908. Prior to this, Alaska's mushers had little
opportunity for recreation and they used their teams primarily for
work and transportation. Rules for the races were established, and
they provided a good diversion to the difficult living conditions. In
the 1920's, airplanes were gradually replacing sled dog teams for
transportation, freight hauling, and mail delivery. In 1925, sled
dogs proved that they were invaluable during the "Great Race of Mercy
to Nome." In Nome, an outbreak of diphtheria threatened to become a
fatal epidemic. A 20lb package of antitoxin serum needed to be
relayed from Nenana to Nome. Twenty drivers and more than 100 dogs
were recruited for the run. Planes were ruled out due to extreme cold
(40 below and colder) and if the plane crashed, the serum would be
lost. Serum was transported from Anchorage to Nenana by train. The
drive was a success, the serum was delivered and lives were saved.
The drive covered some 674 miles in less than five and a half days.
This, along with the simple commemoration of the uses of the Iditarod
trail, is the origin of the Iditarod sled dog race.

2. Types of sled dogs

Naturally, most northern breeds were used as sled dogs. Alaskan
Malamutes, Siberian Huskies, Eskimo Dogs, Greenlands, Samoyeds,
Norrbottenspets, and Hokkaidokens are all sled dogs. However, lots of
different breeds of dogs have been and are used to drive sleds and
carts.

People use Irish Setters, Dalmations, Golden Retrievers, etc., to
enjoy mushing sports. In fact, most modern day speed and endurance
mushers use mixed breeds (often Siberian crossed with Greyhound). So,
if you do not have a "sled dog," but still want to enjoy the sport, fear
not, for most any type of dog can be used. Mushing is fun, both to
take part in and simply to watch.

3. Mushing terms

Contrary to common belief, the word "mush" is not used to drive sled
dogs. Mush comes from the French word "marche" which is from the
verb "marcher" which means to walk. Undoubtedly, the French used this
during gold rush days. The word "mush" is felt to be too "soft" a
sound to be used as a command. Below is a short list of common
commands and terms associated with dog driving sports.

Hike : Get the dogs moving
Gee : Turn right
Haw : Turn left
Easy : Slow down
Musher : One that drives sled dogs
Mushing : The act of driving sled dogs
Lead dog : Dog that steers the sled dog team and
regulates speed
Wheel dog : Dogs closest to the sled
Sled : Wooden rig the dogs pull in the snow and
on which you stand
Snowless rigs : Also called training carts. Take the place
of the sled when there is no snow.

There are many other terms common to dog driving sports. One book
that has a very good glossary in it is _Dog Driver_, by Miki and Julie
Collins. See the references section for a complete citation.

4. Mushing equipment

The types of mushing equipment alone could cover many pages: only the
main points are covered here. The references listed at the end of
this section provide additional information.

There are two main types of sleds -- basket sleds and toboggan sleds.
Basket sleds (also called stanchion sleds) are popular among sprint
racers and recreational mushers. They are fast on glare ice and hard
pack trails, and are also good in high wind conditions. They are
lightweight, and the basket is set high off the runners, which can
keep gear dry. Toboggan sleds are more durable and stable than the
basket sleds, and they are capable of carrying bigger loads. They are
more rigid and generally less maneuverable than basket sleds. The bed
of the toboggan rides two inches above the snow. These sleds handle
soft snow better than their basket counterparts. Both types of sleds
are equipped with a brake, which is a vital item. The brake is very
simple, consisting of a spring loaded wood plank attached to the sled
bed at one end and a metal hook at the other. When riding the sled,
standing on the runners, one simply pushes down on the brake, driving
the hook into the snow. It is an effective method of slowing and
stopping the sled.

So, which sled? It depends on what you want to do. Basket sleds are
lighter and more suitable for racing. Racing trails are groomed and
hard packed for speed. They can be used for longer trips and camping.
However, to carry more gear and run in softer snow conditions, a
toboggan sled would be better. For the novice and/or once-in-a-while
musher, the basket sled is the best choice. They are generally
cheaper and easier to learn on.

In order to have your dog pull the sled, it must have a proper
harness. There are many, but two main types of harnesses are the
x-back and the freighting, or weight pulling harness. For speed or
recreational mushing, the x-back harness is the harness of choice.
The harness is extremely important as it properly distributes the
weight of the load across the dog's muscular-skeleto system. Of all
the components of mushing, the harness is the most important. The
x-back harness is sometimes referred to as a racing harness, but it is
NOT strictly used for racing. As long as the load is not too heavy,
the x-back is used for a wide variety of dog driving activities. The
harness should should be padded around the front and fit the dog very
well. Unfortunately, a picture is not possible, and without that, it
is a little difficult to visualize. See the references for additional
details.

The weight pulling harness is used to haul heavier loads. Therefore,
one would expect to see freighting harnesses used in conjunction with
toboggan sleds. They are also used in competitive weight pulling.
They are similar to the x-back harness, except that they are
constructed to give the dog different freedom of movement and
different distribution of the load. The freighting harness has one
very important feature that the x-back harness does not. At the rear
of the harness, there is a "spacer", usually a wooden rod that is
about as long as the dog is wide. While pulling heavy loads, the rod
is well away from the back of the dogs rear legs. For recreational
mushers, this wooden rod can be somewhat irritating for the dog as it
will hit the back of the dogs legs when not loaded. Consider what you
are going to do with the dog(s) before purchasing or making a harness.

The line that runs from the sled to the dogs is called a _gang line_.
They are simple to construct yourself once you understand their
function and geometry. The gang line consists of three components.
The first is the _tow line_, which is typically 3/8 inch polyethelene
rope. It connects to the sled and runs up *between* the dogs which
are hitched side by side on either side of the towline. To this, the
_tug lines_ are attached. These lines are typically 1/4 inch poly
rope and are "braided" into the tow line. The tug lines attach to the
harnesses (which are on the dogs!). The final component is the _neck
line_. The neck line is also 1/4 inch poly rope and is braided into
the tow line. The end of the neck line attaches to the dog's collar.
The dog does NOT pull from this under ANY circumstances. The function
of the neck line is to keep the dogs close to the tow line, thereby
maximizing their pull strength. When out on the trail, you always
want to have a spare gang line, as the dogs may break theirs, or a
tangle may become so severe that the line must be cut to free the
dogs!

The next component of mushing equipment is the snow hook. The snow
hook is essentially an "emergency brake" for the sled. When you stop
the sled, and must get off to untangle dogs or rest or something, you
can set the snow hook in the snow and it will hold the dogs (and
therefore the sled) in place. They are remarkably effective. They
are simple: a large, heavy, metal hook, weighing a couple of pounds
and about 12 inches in length. These can be purchased from a variety
of places. It is very important to attach the hook to the rear of the
gangline, not the sled. A strong team of dogs can very easily tear a
sled to pieces if the sled is between the hook and the dogs.

The last pieces of equipment to mention are the sled bag and dog
booties. The sled bag can be used to carry an injured dog or gear.
In an ISDRA sanctioned sled dog race, sled bags are a required piece
of equipment. They can be made or purchased. Dog booties are used to
protect the dogs feet from injury, particularly on long journeys.
They are typically used when mushing on rough ice, when mushing along
roadways where chemicals from de-icing can be present, or when driving
the dogs on a snowless rig on a hard surface. Booties can be made or
purchased.

How about the cost? Well, it varies, of course. The numbers below
are typical.

Sled : $300.00 - 500.00
Harness : $15.00 - 18.00
Ganglines : $10.00
Sled Bags : $25.00
Snow Hook : $10.00
Booties : $1.00 (per paw)

The references section includes the names, addresses, and phone
numbers of some outfitters that sell this type of equipment.

5. Skijoring equipment

Skijoring really only requires six simple components. A skier (you!),
a dog (or dogs!), an x-back harness, a tow line, padded belt, and
cross country skis. You MUST know how to cross country ski VERY well
to do this. The harness has been discussed previously, there is no
need to discuss the skis, and the tow line is just that -- a line that
connects you to the dog(s). This leaves the padded belt. These can
be purchased or made. The idea is that you put the belt on, attach
the tow line to it, attach the dogs to it, and go! Some people prefer
to use a handle to hang on to rather than attach the dogs to them.
The handle can then be dropped if the dogs pull you into trouble!
Others feel that it is best to use a belt and execute a controlled fall
in case of trouble rather than risk having the dogs injure themselves
in a tangle when a handle is dropped.

6. Weight pulling equipment

The name of the game here is truly the harness. As discussed above,
the weight pulling harness is completely different from the x-back
harness, and THEY ARE NOT INTERCHANGEABLE! The weight pulling harness
has side lines that connect to a spreader bar at the hock, instead of
continuing up to the hips. This is important, because a single dog
weighing 60 lbs may pull 2000 lbs!

7. Other equipment

Many mushers have a wheeled cart for training in the fall prior to
snow fall. In areas with insufficient snow, these carts are used in
competition. These can be purchased or made by a good welder. Carts
are a lot of fun, but are difficult to come by, they can be difficult
to control, and they go *very* fast with enthusiastic dogs.

Some people use pulks in the snow and carts in the summer to work
their dogs. Carts are small "wagons" that are used to haul small
loads or children. Pulks are carts for the snow (they are like small
sleds). They are used to carry equipment. Carts and pulks can be
made or bought.

8. Training the musher

Dog driving is not merely riding on the back of the sled issuing
commands to steer the dogs. It is work! If you start doing it in
earnest, you will pull muscles, fall off the sled and have to pull
yourself back on the runners with one hand, run yourself ragged
chasing after the team (because you fell off of the sled), run into
trees, and so on. In addition to these things, a musher must "peddle"
the sled. This too can be tiring since it is repetitive. Peddling is
pushing the sled forward with one foot while riding the sled. This is
helpful to the dogs, particularly when tired. You may also frequently
get off to run alongside when the dogs are tired. Therefore, to
successfully drive sled dogs, the musher must train his or her body as
well. Conditioning of the musher is to a small extent a function of
the type of mushing to be done. The key is endurance and flexibility
over muscle bulk. Running, biking, cross country skiing and downhill
skiing are all good ways to build strength. You must remember that at
all times, you are alpha. If you are tired, hesitant, and uncertain,
your team will pick this up and become confused and unresponsive.
This can be particularly dangerous on longer journeys into the
wilderness.

It should be clear from this that dogs in a sled dog team must be very
well bonded to the driver. Not only does it make training much
easier, but well socialized, well bonded dogs make a very good sled
dog team. The dogs are looking to you as their undisputed leader, and
you and they work together as a *team*. If you are careful to bond to
each of your dogs as individuals, and socialize them very well with
each other, other dogs, and other humans, your dogs will be willing to
do virtually anything for you.

9. Training dogs to pull

There are many aspects to training dogs to pull. Probably the most
fundamental is *start young*. Get a puppy used to its harness, just
as you would a collar and leash. Also let the puppy get used to
pulling things. Start out with a small 2x4 (6 inches long) and let it
drag the 2x4 around behind its harness for a while. The emphasis is
NOT on weight, just on having fun dragging a VERY LIGHT weight behind
it. It is important to realize that one can injure a puppy's bones,
structure, and spirit by doing too much!

To train adult dogs, or continue the puppy training as an adult, is
relatively simple. Some dogs are natural pullers, others are not.
Some dogs take right to the harness the first time, and other dogs,
even ones from reputable breeders, may take extensive training. You
just never know.

It is vital to get the dog to lean out and keep the line between it
and you taut. Some dogs have a real problem with this, others do not.
For problem dogs, the cause usually is due to the dog not liking you
to be behind it. If you do have trouble, there are a variety of
methods you can use. As long as you make training a fun game, and you
make the dog understand what you want it to do, training will progress
quickly, even for stubborn dogs, like Siberians. Fortunately, they
LIKE to pull, so their stubbornness is not a problem here. Sometimes
getting them to STOP pulling is!

Some mushers feel that it is best to train dogs to pull lots of
weight, then speed comes naturally in a race without the weight.
Others feel that speed and endurance training is best. Still others
feel that a combination works best, similar to the combination
training for the musher. Training for speed and endurance by mushing
shorter distances (under 10 miles, sometimes even 3 or 4 miles) at top
speed and up hills is beneficial. Loping along at 3 or 4 miles an
hour for 15 or 20 miles is also beneficial. Both of these build
strength and endurance. Pulling heavy weight for short distances is
also quite good, particularly for wheel dogs (the ones hitched closest
to the sled). For this, try a plastic tub to which you can add
plastic weights (the ones from barbell sets will have the weights
printed on them).

Whichever method you use, remember to take it easy with your dogs and
not push them to hard, and never, NEVER, lose your temper with your
dogs. Remember that this is supposed to be fun for both you and the
dogs. George Attla, a famous musher once said, "If the dogs make a
mistake while out on the trail remember that it is not the dogs that
have made the mistake. It is you." For additional training
information (with much more detail than is practical to provide here),
see the references.

10. Training lead dogs

To successfully mush, one must have a good lead dog (or dogs). This
dog will take your commands for regulating speed and direction for the
entire team. Naturally, if you are driving only one dog, that will be
your lead dog.

Training lead dogs is too complex to really do it justice here. The
basics are you want the dog to learn to turn right, left, speed up,
and slow down on voice command. You also want the dog to bypass
interesting detours and distractions. In addition to the basic
commands already introduced (see section 3), the dog must also be
taught the commands below:

kissing sound : Speed up (or other appropriate sound)
on-by : Go by a fork in the trail, other dogs, or
other distractions without detour

All commands are spoken in a firm, calm, not too loud voice.

During training, you must be certain to use varied turns and trails to
be sure that the dog is really executing the commands rather than
following a well worn path. You must also anticipate the turn and
issue the command at the correct time from the *dog's* perspective.
Finally, some people get confused when issuing the right/left
commands, particularly in the excitement of a race. Some mushers tape
the commands on the front of their sleds, on the right and left sides.
You may want to do this while beginning on the sled.

To train a dog to execute these commands with regularity is not too
difficult. To train a dog to do this during the excitement of a race
with lots of distractions is more difficult. One possible way to
approach training is to start out on foot when the dog is a puppy.
Keep the lessons varied, quick, and fun. Be certain to do the lessons
in a variety of environments, with and without distractions. When the
dog is old enough to pull weight (about one year to 18 months, get
advice from your veterinarian), you may wish to graduate to cross
country skiis. The dog will learn to execute commands in snowy
conditions, and at higher speeds. Once you have your lead dog well
trained and pulling your sled, you will find that other untrained,
young, dogs can be very easily added to your team as your lead dog
will "correct" the new dog's mistakes, usually faster and better than
you can.

This is one way in which lead dogs can be trained. Consult the
references and experienced mushers (if you can find any) for
additional information.

11. Training for weight pulling

Here emphasis is on strength and pulling straight no matter
how difficult. Most of the mushing books in the references discuss
weight pulling training.

12. Training for skijoring

Skijoring is you on cross country skis and the dogs pulling you. YOU
MUST BE A VERY GOOD CROSS COUNTRY SKIER. This is a must. Before
attaching dogs, cross country ski all over the place, on a wide
variety of terrain. Learn to fall in a controlled way. You will
eventually need to do this when skijoring. You will need to learn to
turn quickly and ski in control at high speeds. Skiing downhill in
cross country skis is a good way to simulate skijoring speeds.

The dog(s) must be well trained as well. Train all of them as lead
dogs. They need to know and obey all of the commands very well
(especially whoa!). The references all include information about this
fast growing sport.

13. Health, diet, and care -- Sled Dog Specifics (briefly)

Sled dogs are athletes. They are also remarkably healthy. It is
important to realize that because sled dogs are athletes, they require
special attention in at least two specific areas.

Probably one of the most important aspects for caring for sled dogs is
the foot. You should inspect your dog's feet regularly. The skin of
the pad should feel tough, but pliable, be resistant to abrasions and
lacerations, and be free from cracks, dryness, or scarring. Also
inspect the nails of the foot carefully. Nails can help the dog grip
ice, but if too long, they can cause serious foot injury. According
to Miki Collins in _Dog Driver_, if the nails are long enough to force
the toes upward when the dog is standing on a hard, level surface,
clip them. Nails that are too long can get caught and ripped out on
the trail, or they can cause toes to break. Both of these injuries
can be quite serious, and they are certainly painful.

The subject of diet should also be touched on here. Most mushers feed
a high stress, high energy diet during mushing season, and switch to a
"maintenance" diet during the "off" season. For example, one
experienced musher mixes Science Diet Performance dry with canned
during mushing season. This is a high fat, high protein food. Some
mushers even mix food in with lots of water hours before a race to
encourage drinking. Dogs must be very well hydrated. During the off
season, the musher in this example feeds Science Diet Maintenance
canned mixed with either Science Diet Maintenance dry or Eukanuba dry.
During the mushing season, the dogs are using all components of the
food that is fed. During the off season, there is no need for such
high energy food, and in fact, high protein foods can cause kidney
trouble later in life when not fed in moderation.

14. Final remarks

Hopefully, this brief summary has been helpful to you. Even if you do
not want to get involved in mushing yourself, try and find mushing
events in your area. It is wonderful to see the handsome dogs
enjoying doing what they were bred for.

15. References

15.1. Recommended books for mushing, weight pulling, and skijoring:

Levorsen, Bella, ed. _Mush! A Beginner's Manual of Sled Dog
Training_. Sierra Nevada Dog Drivers, Inc. Arner Publications, 1976.
ISBN 0-914124-06-4.

Collins, Miki and Julie. _Dog Driver. A Guide for the Serious
Musher_. Alpine Publications, 1991. ISBN 0-931866-48-0.

Flanders, Noel K. _The Joy of Running Sled Dogs_. Alpine Publications,
1989. ISBN 0-931866-39-1.

Fishback, Lee and Mel. _Novice Sled Dog Training_. 13th printing,

Raymond Thomson Company, 1989.

15.3. Recommended breed books:

Demidoff, Lorna B. and Michael Jennings. _The Complete Siberian
Husky_. Howell Book House, 1978. ISBN 0-87605-314-2.

Riddle, Maxwell and Beth J. Harris. _The New Complete Alaskan
Malamute_. Howell Book House, 1990. ISBN 0-87605-008-9.

15.4. Recommended racing and history:

Sherwonit, Bill. _Iditarod, The Great Race to Nome_. Alaska
Northwest Books, 1991. ISBN 0-88240-411-3.

Steger, Will and Jon Bowermaster. _Crossing Antarctica_. Alfred A.
Knopf, Inc., 1991. ISBN 0-394-58714-6.

15.6. Periodicals about sled dogs and mushing

The Siberian Quarterly
4401 Zephyr Street
Wheat Ridge, CO 80033-3299

The Malamute Quarterly
4401 Zephyr Street
Wheat Ridge, CO 80033-3299

Mushing.
The All Season International Magazine for Dog-Driving Sports
P.O. Box 149
Ester, AK 99725

15.7. Recommended places to order equipment:

Black Ice, Konari Outfitters, Tun-Dra Outfitters and Ikon Outfitters:
all addresses are in Catalogue section of the Annotated References FAQ.

D. Herding Dogs.

Herding, along with hunting, is probably one of the oldest professions
for dogs. There are many breeds bred specifically for herding.
There are many forms of herding, as well: boundary, fetching/gathering.

There are different styles, as well. Some breeds use what is called
"eye", the tendency to stare down sheep. Dogs may be strong-eyed,
medium eyed, or low-eyed (?). Border Collies are an example of a
strong-eyed breed. An Old English Sheepdog, in contrast, does not
have much eye. Dogs may use nipping or barking to move the sheep.
Corgies are well known for their ability to dart in and nip the heels
of cattle, for example. Other dogs were drovers; that is, they
physically butt up against the stock to move them. Rottweilers and
Bouviers both were used for this type of work.

For more info on trials and tests provided by different organizations,
see the AKC FAQ.

A short description, provided by Dianne Schoenberg:

The European herding breeds can be roughly divided into two factions:
the British herding dogs (Border Collies, Bearded Collies, Old English
Sheepdog, Rough & Smooth Collies, Shetland Sheepdogs) and the
continental breeds (German Shepherd Dogs, Briards, Bouviers, Belgian
Sheepdogs). There are significant differences between temperament and
working style between the two groups.

In comparison to continental Europe, Britian is an isolated island
with a significant lack of natural predators. British sheep-ranching
operations, most particularly in Scotland, involved flocks of rather
shy, flighty sheep that often lived for generations spread thinly out
over the same, rather inhospitable hillside, only rarely being
gathered for shearing and such. The Border Collie is the breed most
superbly adapted to working in these conditions. The BC runs very
wide in order to gather large groups at one time, stays far out from
the stock and creeps up slowly in order not to spook the sheep and
make them run (which is undesireable). The BC is superbly responsive
to command (Scottish shepherds typically work with whistle commands,
as the sound carries well-enough to be heard and obeyed when the dog
is as far as a mile off(!)) and the BC has few if any protective
instincts (not necessary because of the lack of predators and the
sparse population of the districts where sheep were raised). The
style in which BCs work is generally referred to as "fetching" or
"gathering" because their primary function as herders is to "fetch"
the sheep to the shepherd.

The situation in continental Europe was far different. Rather than
the far-flung flocks that reigned in Britian, most sheep were raised
in small farm operations. In comparison to flighty British sheep,
most continental sheep are quite tame ("heavy" in herding parlance)
and are readily trained to follow a shepherd about. The sheep were
typically kept in a barn at night and taken out to unfenced fields to
graze by day. Since the fields used for sheep pasture were often
side-by-side with those used for growing crops, the shepherd needed a
dog that would patrol the "boundary" of the area, serving as a sort of
living fence. Furthermore, predators (both animal and human) were
always a threat, so all the continental herding breeds have
strongly-developed protective instincts (which is why they are the
breeds most often chosen for police and protection work). The German
sheepdog trials (HGH, pronounced "haw-gee-haw") are a demonstration of
this style of herding (variously referred to as boundary, tending or
continental). Typically using a large number of sheep (something on
the order of 100) that are conditioned to follow a handler around, the
dog demonstrates its ability and desire to patrol the "boundaries" of
the flock as the handler leads the flock around. A courage test, in
the dog must protect his handler and flock from a stranger wielding a
stick, is an important part of every HGH trial.

[Australia has a lot of herding dogs; what about them?]

E. Narcotics and Evidence Dogs.

This is commonly considered a subset of SAR. Dogs can be trained to
alert (by barking, pointing, or pawing) on controlled substances such
as drugs, agricultural products (e.g., in customs or at borders), and
nearly anything else (for example, gunpowder (to detect guns), bomb
materials, arson materials). Narcotic dogs are trained to search
through buildings, cars, and luggage for their scent. They can be
trained to alert on more than one kind of drug, and can do so despite
ingenious efforts on the smuggler's part: dogs have been known to
locate drugs concealed in gasoline, rotting food, skunk oil, and many
other efforts. They can be trained to discriminate between large and
small amounts: in fact some dogs are trained to whiff passing
vehicles; if it alerts on one, that vehicle can be stopped later and
searched without directly involving the dog and its handler.

Evidence dogs are trained to search for items bearing human scent,
sometimes specific human scent. They are utilized in crime scenes to
find evidence thrown away by a suspect. Such evidence can be later
used (if handled properly) by a Bloodhound to link the scent on it to
a suspect: several such cases have been deemed admissible evidence in
court.

Dogs that are trained to alert on contraband items are almost always
owned by law enforcement personnel, as these individuals can most
easily legally obtain small quantities of contraband to train their
dog with. In other words, average citizens do not train narcotic dogs
because of legal difficulties. The dog's training record must record
legal acquisition of contraband material used in training: if no such
record exists, or the dog does not have a training record, then its
evidence will not be accepted in court. (In other words, don't try
this at home. Similar problems exist for the cadaver dog: dead human
parts must be legally obtained.)

E. Patrol Dogs.

This is a very general term. Technically, any dog working for a
police or sheriff department is a "police" or "patrol" dog, this can
include narcotic, evidence, tracking, trailing, and attack dogs. SAR
and narcotic and evidence search have already been covered. The
popular notion of the term "police dog" refers to "attack" dogs kept
by law enforcement departments. Dogs can do more than one job; there
is no reason that a dog couldn't trail/track people, sniff out
narcotics, and locate arson material. But attack dogs are usually
used only for chasing suspects and bringing them down. Of interest in
our litigous society in the current trend of going to bark and hold,
which means that the dog barks at the subject to hold him, and only
attacks if the suspect continues to flee or if the suspect attempts to
attack the dog or a bystander. This type of training brings the dog
under much finer control.

Schutzhund training shows that attack training does not exclude other
abilities, but for whatever reasons, this is not often done
(Schutzhund training itself is difficult; the Schutzhund section
describes the difficulty of finding suitable candidates for the
training). There are often liability concerns; an "attack" dog will
be viewed unfavorably by most judges and juries if it attacked
someone, even justifiably, while doing something else.

There are no national or even state-wide standards for these dogs.
Many are Schutzhund trained. Some are well trained, others are not.
German Shepherd Dogs are commonly used, but any large breed with
energy and drive can be used: Bouvier des Flandres, Doberman
Pinschers, Malinois, Rottweilers and others have also been used as
patrol dogs.

The use of patrol dogs, in an organized fashion, began in the US in
1907 with South Orange, New Jersey, and New York Police Departments.
These were followed by departments in Glen Ridge, NJ (1910), Detroit
(1917), Berkeley, CA (1930), Pennsylvania State Police (1931), Royal
Canadian Mounted Police K-9 Section (1937), and the Connecticut State
Police (1944). Many other departments have since created programs of
their own to utilize dogs. This is the reason for the lack of uniform
standards across the country, as each department makes its own.

For a detailed reference, including history, try:

Chapman, Samuel G. _Police Dogs in America_. Bureau of Government
Research, 1979.

For information on training dogs for different types of police work
(but not attack or protection), see:

Tolhurst, Bill. _The Police Textbook for Dog Handlers_. Sharp
Printing, 3477 Lockport Road, Sanborn, NY 14132. 1991. (Paperback,
89 pages.)
This book is only available from the author. $14 plus $2 shipping
and handling. Write to Bill Tolhurst, 383 Willow Street, Lockport,
NY 14094. The most comprehensive training book available. Contains
information not available from any other source. Contains updated
information covered by the original National Police Bloodhound
Training Manual (1977). Plus: how to train a land-cadaver dog, a
water-cadaver dog, an article-search dog, an accelerant (arson) dog.
Information on the Scent Transfer Machine, about radio-controlled
dogs, on crime scene dog development, on the use of a scent sleeve.
Discusses seminars, Bloodhound misconceptions, testifying in court,
commands, puppy profiles (how to select a puppy) and more.

Also:

Eden, Bob. _K9 Officer's Manual_, _Dog Training for Law Enforcement_.
Available from Direct Book Publishing at 1-800-776-2665.

F. Water Rescue Dogs.

[would love more history and references]

There are some dogs trained for water rescue. Some dogs are trained
to deliver flotation devices to the person, others actually drag the
person out of the water. The latter is most often done by
Newfoundlands, as they have the swimming ability and size to perform
such feats.

[Cindy Tittle Moore]

Archive-name: dogs-faq/medical-info/part1
Last-modified: 29 Nov 1994

=======
The latest versions of these FAQ's may be found via the Web at
http://io.com/user/tittle/dogs-faq/homepage.html.

The multiple parts of the FAQ are all archived at rtfm.mit.edu

CANINE MEDICAL INFORMATION, PART I

Prologue
A. Anal Sacs.
B. Anesthetics.
C. Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA)
D. Breathing Disorders.
E. Bloody Stools.
F. Brucellosis.
G. Canine Parvovirus (CPV).
H. Chrondrodysplasia (CHD or Chd).
I. Distemper.
J. Epilepsy.
K. Eye Problems.
L. Gastric Dilation and Bloat.
M. Giardia.
N. Heartworms.

Prologue.

Much of the information found in this article is summarized from
Carlson & Giffin. I would like to thank them for their informative

and accessible information. Any mistakes made in the summaries are my
responsibility and not Carlson & Giffin's. I believe that I am within
copyright laws by using summarizations (no direct quoting, except for
the toxic plants section), my own organization of the material, and
precise acknowledgement where relevant.

Cindy Tittle Moore

An *excellent* resource that details all aspects of health issues for
dogs, and one that every conscientious dog owner should have is:

Carlson, Delbert G., DVM, and James M. Giffin, MD. _Dog Owners's Home
Veterinary Handbook (Revised and Expanded)_. Howell Book House,

Macmillan Publishing Company, 866 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022 USA

(1992, 2nd ed). ISBN: 0-87605-537-4 (hardcover).

This comprehensive book is a complete guide to health care of dogs.
It lets you know when you can treat the dog, or when you need to
take it to the vet post-haste. It lists symptoms so that you may
inform your vet of relevant information about its condition. The
arrangement of the material facilitates rapid reference.
Illustration of key procedures (pilling, taking pulse/temperature,
etc). Lists poisonous substances, including houseplants.

A must have home veterinarian handbook.

A. Anal Sacs.

(summarized from Carlson & Giffin)

Normally, anal sacs are emptied when the dog defecates. Some dogs
with overactive anal glands may require occasional help. Your vet can
demonstrate the procedure.

A common indication of trouble with anal sacs is "scooting" (dragging
the rear on the ground).

Impaction: occurs when the anal sacs fail to empty properly. This is
more common in smaller breeds. Squeezing the sacs yourself as needed
will control the problem.

Infection: complicates impaction. There is blood or pus in the
secretions, and the dog may scoot (drag its rear on the ground). It
may be painful. Check with your vet for an antibiotic you can apply
after you empty the sacs.

Abscess: Signs of anal infection, with a swelling at the site of the
gland. It goes from initially red to a deep purple. You will have to
have it lanced and cleaned by the vet.

Dogs whose anal sacs become repeatedly infected and/or abscessed will
need to have the glands removed. Surgery is uncomplicated, although
the dog will have poor bowel control for the next few days after
surgery. Try putting a pair of small boy's underpants, with the dog's
tail through the third opening, on the dog to contain accidents.

B. Anesthetics.

Remember that this is not intended as complete information by any
means. Your best source for that is from your veterinarian. Don't be
afraid to ask questions.

1. Why is anesthesia used for OFA X-rays?

Most Xrays can be taken without any sort of sedation, but OFA Hip
X-Rays require an abnormal amount of stretching and twisting of the
legs to get the hips into a proper position. Most dogs will struggle
from the pain, and the resulting X-rays can end up blurred. While for
many cases this would be OK, OFA requires very sharp images. It is
possible (as has been mentioned here often) to get acceptable X-rays
without sedation, but it requires a lot of work and experience. If
your vet does not feel comfortable doing X-rays without sedation or
anesthesia you are probably better off getting an experienced vet to
do it.

2. How dangerous is anesthesia?

While anesthesia is not without risks, it is most certainly not
guaranteed death for your dog. Your vet anesthetizes dozens of animals
a week without losing them, and your pet should be no exception. There
are a number of different anesthetics available, each with their own
benifits and risks. Halothane is probably the most commonly used. It
is a good general purpose anesthesia which is simple to control. A
drawback is that it takes animals up to an hour to completely wake up
from it and they usually behave sedated for up to another 12 hours.
Metophane is less common. It allows very deep levels of sedation for
painful surgeries such as bone surgery or for very large dogs. It
also has a long recovery time. If your vet uses either of these
anesthetics it is a good idea to schedule the procedure early in the
day so that your dog can be kept under observation for a longer period
of time. (Most vets do this anyway if at all possible). Finally there
is Isofluorane. This is a quick acting anesthetic which makes it a
little more difficult to monitor, but also causes the least trauma. It
is also much more expensive, and may not be offered by every vet. It
is best used for shorter or nonintrusive procedures such as X-rays,
teeth cleanings and tattoos.

3. What can I do to improve the odds?

The greatest danger from anesthetics is improper processing of the
drug by the dogs metabolism. All these anesthetics are eliminated
from the blood stream through the liver and kidneys. Older dogs in
particular can have defects in these organs that can cause
complications under anesthesia. If you are concerned about this your
vet can do a preliminary blood panel to detect potential problems. If
your pet has a heart murmur or a respiratory problem make sure your
vet is aware of it. These are not neccessary problems during
anesthesia, but will allow your vet to make an informed decision
should a problem arise. You should also ask your vet if sie knows of
any problems peculiar to your breed. Sighthounds in particular are
more sensitive to anesthetic and require lower levels to achieve the
same effect. Make sure that you keep a complete medical history of
your dog and that you take a copy of it with you whenever you change
vets.

C. Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA)

This disease is only partially understood at this time.

Symptoms include:
* pale gums, possibly yellow in severe cases
* yellow feces (from bile pigments)
* red or orange-brown urine (but may look normal)

Procedures to reverse this condition include various chemotherapies,
steroids, cyclosporin, and blood transfusions. However, the only
"tried and tested" treatment is corticosteroid therapy. Other
cytotoxic drugs, like cyclosporin, cyclophosphamide, azathioprine and
danazol are recommended by various people, generally because somebody
else recommended them somewhere else. Their actual benefit seems
uncertain. The general consensus is that cyclophosphamide is the best
of these drugs to use.

Blood transfusions are the topic of much controversy. One school of
thought is that the animal is likely to hemolyse the transfusion, so
blood should be tranfused only in lifethreatening situations. The
other school argues that transfusions have never been proven to be
dangerous in this disease (and goes on to assume that they are
therefore safe).

There are two types of AHA: primary, where the system destroys its
own red blood cells for no apparent reason, and secondary, where the
red cell membrane is changed (perhaps by a virus or parasite) and is
then destroyed as abnormal. Prognosis for secondary AHA is much better
and depends on how well the underlying cause can be treated. The
prognosis for primary AHA is much worse, with only 50% of the animals
living beyond 12 months.

D. Breathing Disorders.

Dogs that breath noisily may have a serious health problem. For
example, some animals have an elongated palate, which prevents them
from breathing properly. The animal can also have a hard time
drinking and eating. This also can affect the heart since it has to
work extra hard to breath.

If your dog has this problem check with your vet. There is an
operation that can correct the problem of elongated palates. In any
case, dogs should not be constantly panting and breathing noisily, so
a vet check is in order.

In general, breathing anomalies should be investigated: noisiness,
wheezing, excessive panting, excessive coughing.

E. Bloody Stools.

Blood in the stool can appear in several ways, each indicating a
different problem. Black stools mean bleeding high up in the
digestive tract, most likely a bleeding stomach ulcer. Reddish stools
indicate blood further down the pipe, after the digestive juices have
been neutralized somewhat. This can be anything from ulcers in the
small intestine to ulcerative colitis. Red blotches/streaks on the
surface of the stools (with normal color otherwise) indicate bleeding
in the last segment of the large intestine or rectum, after the stool
has begun to solidify (the function of the large intestine is to
neutralize digestive juices and absorb liquid). This can be
ulcerative colitis (or some other inflammatory bowel disease) or
bleeding hemorrhoids. Each of these problems can be very serious, and
in some cases life-threatening (with the exception of hemorrhoids).

Coloring (natural or artificial) in food can also directly color the
stool so you can't be sure of anything without a chemical analysis. A
sudden diet change/addition can also affect stool color.

Get a sample to the vet.

F. Brucellosis.

Brucellosis is one of the few venereal diseases among dogs. It is
associated with testicular atrophy. It causes sterilization (sometime
obvious, sometimes not) in the male, embryonic reabsorption, abortion,
weak pups that die soon after birth and eventual sterility in females.
Males are contagious for months through their semen, females are
contagious for several weeks after the failed pregnancy.

*Brucellosis may be passed to humans.* It can cause suppressed immune
systems and sterility in humans.

Diagnosis can be quickly made, although animals tested less than three
weeks after exposure will show negative. False positives are
possible; followup diagnosis with more reliable methods should follow
any initial positives.

Treatment for brucellosis is not generally very successful and often
very expensive. Extensive antibiotic therapy, evaluation and
additional testing will add up quickly, with no guarantee of success.
No vaccine is available.

Any animal with brucellosis should not be bred, and should be
eliminated from the kennel or other breeding stock before infecting
the entire colony. Animals entering the breeding area, male and
female, should be tested for brucellosis PRIOR TO breeding.

G. Canine Parvovirus (CPV).

This is a recent disease, first noted in the late seventies. It is
highly contagious and puppies have the highest mortality. There is a
vaccine available, and you should make sure your dog is up on its
shots. In some areas where parvo is prevalent, you may need booster
shots every six months instead of every year.

Parvovirus comes in several forms:

(summarized from Carlson & Giffin)

* Diarrhea syndrome: Severe depression, loss of appetite, vomiting.
Extreme pain. High fever follows with profuse diarrhea. No other
disease comes close to matching the amount of diarrhea induced by
CPV.

* Cardiac syndrome: Affects the muscles of the heart, especially in
puppies. Puppies stop nursing, cry and gasp for breath. Death
can occur suddenly or after several days. Puppies that recover
often develop chronic congestive heart failure that may kill them
several months later.

Dogs may have either or both syndromes. Treatment is difficult,
requiring hospitalization; those who recover are immune. The quarters
of an infected dog should be thoroughly sterilized; a solution of 1:30
bleach and water is recommended. As with any use of bleach, make sure
you do not mix it with ammonia, which results in mustard gas and can
kill you and your dog. Be sure to rinse the bleach off thoroughly
after application.

In the US, there is a current upswing in Parvo infections. Make sure
your dog is up-to-date on its vaccinations. Don't let a too-young
puppy roam where possibly infected dogs have been (for example, in the
park). Contact with feces or un-vaccinated dogs is the primary source
of transmission. Some breeds seem to be especially sensitive to parvo,
such as Rottweilers.

H. Chrondrodysplasia

Chrondrodysplaysia was discovered around 1930-1940s. This disease is
neither "dwarfism" as it is commonly referred to nor is it dysplaysia
(in the true sense of the word). This debilitating disease is actually
a birth defect causing the dog's upper foreleg to become overly
massive, short, and twisted and appears in Malamute and related
breeds. Malamute breeders were appalled by this condition when it
appeared and immediately set out to eradicate it.

Steps were taken to locate these recessive genes. By breeding an
unknown dog to a known CHD, the pups were then rebred to CHD dogs and
percentages were calculated. Most Malamutes today have been CHD
rated. The percentage is the actual likelihood of CHD showing up in a
breeding. Malamute breeders tend to agree that 6.25% (one
great-great-great grandparent is a carrier) is the upper limit of
acceptablity in a CHD rating.

Puppies are CHD rated now by taking the CHD factors of both parents
and averaging them together. Example:

Dog 1.75%
Bitch 2.01%
---------------
(1.75 + 2.01)/2 =
puppies 1.88%

Needless to say, an non-CHD certified Mal or a Mal that is certified
above a 6.25% should not be bred, in order to contain the disease.
Non-CHD certified dogs can be CHD certified, but it is a very
expensive procedure.

CHD may be diagnosed with various tests that include blood tests and
x-rays.

_The Complete Alaskan Malamute_ by Riddle and Seely covers this
disease fairly well.

I. Distemper.

(summarized From Carlson & Giffin)

Distemper is the leading cause of infectious disease death in dogs,
most commonly in unvaccinated puppies 3-8 months of age. Among
infected dogs: half show little in the way of illness; many show mild
symptoms; and in a few the illness is severe or fatal. Malnourished
and ill-kept dogs tend to show more acute forms of the disease.
Secondary infections and complications with distemper are common.
Prognosis depends on how quickly the dog is diagnosed and treated, and
which form of the disease the dog has.

There are two stages. Symptoms in the first stage include fever, loss
of appetite, listlessness, and a watery discharge from the eyes and
nose. It may appear like a cold -- but dogs do not get colds the way
people do; a "cold" is therefore much more serious in a dog than in a
person. Within a few days the discharge will thicken: a primary
indication of distemper. Dry cough, pus blisters on the stomach,
diarrhea (and associated dehydration) may follow. At this point, the
dog may recover, or proceed on to the second stage which involves the
brain. Dogs with brain involvement do not usually survive.

J. Epilepsy.

(from a post by Stu Farhnam)

Canine epilepsy is remarkably similar in both presentation and
treatment to epilepsy in humans. However, it is much more common
among dogs, with an approximate 10% rate (compared with 1% for
humans).

Epilepsy may be due to a number of causes: injury, toxicity, disease,
heredity, etc. In cases where no apparent cause can be found, the
diagnosis is "idiopathic epilepsy", which essentially means "seizures
of unknown origin". Epilepsy is fairly common in dogs. Idiopathic
epilepsy is believed to have a genetic component which is not well
understood.

If the epilepsy has a specific determinable cause, it can often be
treated by removing the source. For example, a dog may have epilepsic
siezures when exposed to a specific toxin; eliminating that toxin will
remove the epilepsy. For idiopathic epilepsy and permanent epilepsy
(eg due to a head-injury), treatment consists of one or more
anticonvulsant drugs. Dosage and combination are usually arrived at
empirically. That is, you and your vet will experiment with different
drugs at different doses in an attempt to find the best treatment for
your dog. Common anticonvulsants include primadone, phenobarbitol,
valium, and others.

The vast majority of cases of canine epilepsy yield to treatment.
While most of the drugs have long term side effects (e.g. liver
toxicity), they allow epileptic dogs to live near normal lives.

Siezures can appear in many forms, from undistractible "spaciness" to
the more commonly thought of spasmodic movements, loss of bladder and
bowel control, etc. Seizures pose little direct threat to the dog when
they occur singly and are of short duration (seconds - a few minutes).
The most common problem associated with a seizure is that the dog
injures itself during the period of loss of motor control.

Sometimes, however, the seizures occur in groups (clusters) or do not
end quickly (so-called "status epilepticus"). In these cases the
physical stress on the dog can be enormous and lead to secondary
problems.

K. Eye Problems.

1. CEA

CEA (Collie Eye Anomaly) is the most common form of eye problem found
in the collie, both rough and smooth variety. It is also found in the
border collie, shetland sheepdog, and bearded collie. It is believed
to by controlled by a genetic cluster, or large group of genes, and
thus, it is hard to control by breeding, and ranges in severity.

2. PRA

PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy) is common in MANY breeds of dogs
(including mixed breeds), and is not isolated to the collie like the
CEA tends to be.

Generalized PRA affects the entire retina. Most dogs with GPRA become
night blind at three and are usually totally blind by five.
Generalized PRA has been detected as early as six weeks in puppies,
and these puppies are usually blind by six to eight months. An
electroretinography can be used to detect the early signs of PRA.
Animals to be tested in this manner are anesthetized while lenses are
placed on the eyes to record the retina's reaction to light. (Like
wearing contacts.)

ALL dogs affected with PRA eventually go blind.

3. GPRA

GPRA is believed to be transmitted by a simple autosomal recessive
gene. Studies have shown that both parents must be carriers for any
offspring to be affected. Breeding PRA affected animals to PRA
NON-affected animals results in 100% carriers for the PRA gene. The
most common form of PRA in the collie is generalized PRA and it is
detectable at an early age (6wks and over).

The other form, Central PRA, is uncommon and usually occurs between
three and five years old, but has been detected as early as three
weeks. The mode of transmission is not known. Animals with CPRA can
usually see moving objects because the peripheral vision is retained
longer, but often will collide with stationary objects. An
electroretinogram is not able to detect the CPRA.

NOTE: In October 1945 the Kennel Club of England added PRA to
the list of disqualifications from winning any award in the show ring.

For more information on Canine Eye disease contact:
CERF (Canine Eye Registration Foundation)
South Campus Courts C
Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN 47906

Information on CEA, PRA and GPRA was compiled with the wealth of
information located in:

* Rubin, Lionel F. _Inherited Eye Diseases in Purebred Dogs_.
* Vanderlip, Sharon Lynn, DVM. _The Collie: A Veterinary Reference
for the Professional Breeder_.
* CERF pamphlets.

Please consult these books and others for more breed specific
information.

4. Glaucoma

This is a condition where the pressure of the fluid in the eye
increases until the sight is gone in that eye. If it strikes one eye,
the other eye is likely also to be affected.

Once the retina is damaged and the sight is gone the options are as
follows:

* Inject the eye with a fluid which kills the fluid producing cells
in the eye, hence no further increase in pressure and no pain.
This is not a guaranteed solution.
* Remove the eye and sew the lids shut. Probably the most practical.
* Remove the eye and replace it with a prosthetic (i.e., glass eye).
There are potential problems with infection of the eye socket.

5. Cataracts

Cataracts are fairly common in older dogs and sometimes is a
complication of another condition (such as diabetes). Treatment can
involve removing the clouded portion of the lense. This usually
renders the dog unable to focus, but since sight is not a primary
sense for the dog, the procedure appears to give them usable vision.

[Need more info]

6. Dealing with blindness

Dogs that become blind rarely have all that much trouble with it.
Unlike humans, sight is not a primary sense; dogs would be much more
upset at losing their sense of smell. Most people with a blind dog
find that dealing with blindness is not difficult nor traumatic for
the dog.

To avoid confusion, do not move your furniture around (except for
any piece that the dog does keep bumping into. Be sure the dog knows
when you are near so it is not startled. When you go out on walks,
establish habitual trails. Your dog will adjust quickly.

L. Gastric Dilation and Bloat.

A condition more commonly seen in larger breeds. Gas in the stomach
causes it to swell. In some cases, the stomach rotates on its axis,
closing off both ends of it. Digestive processes continue unabated
and the stomach swells up. The cause of bloat is unknown.

Some forms of bloat are fatal untreated; survival depends on
understanding what is happening and getting the dog to the vet, the
earlier the better.

Terminology:

* The stomach is full of gas and begins to swell: gastric dilation.
* The stomach partially rotates on its axis: torsion.
* The stomach rotates 180 or more degrees: volvolus.

Some facts (from Carlson & Giffin):

* Dogs who bloat are almost always at least 2 years old.
* Two-thirds are male.
* Larger, deeper chested breeds are affected.
* They eat large amounts of dry kibble.
* They exercise vigorously after eating and tend to drink water in
large amounts after meals.
* They may have a history of digestive upsets.
* There may be a familial association with other dogs who bloat.

According to Carlson & Giffin, the symptoms are: excessive salivation
and drooling, extreme restlessness, attempts to vomit and defecate,
evidence of abdominal pain and abdominal distension. Abdominal
fullness, whining, pacing, getting up and lying down, stretching,
looking at the abdomen, anxiety.

History is important: in nearly all cases, there is a history of
overeating, eating fermented foods, drinking excessively after eating,
or taking vigorous exercise after a meal (within two or three hours).

If your dog is able to belch or vomit, it is more likely a gastric
upset. If it cannot, rush it to the vet or emergency care *now* for
emergency surgery.

If your dog is at risk for gastric bloat, you should discuss it with
your vet before a possible episode. Your vet may recommend (and
demonstrate) some things you can try to do as life-saving measures
while getting it to the vet.

Measures thought to reduce the risk of gastric torsion ("bloat")
[From the Bloat Panel, sponsored by the Morris Animal Foundations,
published in the August 1992 Irish Setter Club of America's _Memo To
Members_.]

* Feed two or three times daily. Be sure someone is around to
observe after-feeding behavior for possible symptoms.
* Water should be available at all times except immediately after
feeding, especially if the dog seems to over-drink. Or mixing dry
kibble and water before eating to prevent later swelling up in the
abdomen.
* Vigorous exercise, excitement and stress should be avoided one
hour before and two hours after meals. Walking is alright and may
help stimulate normal gastrointestinal function.
* Any dietary changes should be introduced gradually over several days.

There is another article about bloat in the Spring '92 issue
of _Today's Breeder_ (published by Purina dog foods) (pp 8,9,15).

M. Giardia. (prepared by Dr. James Coggins)

If your dog has been diagnosed with Giardia, it is infected with
the one-celled protozoan parasite Giardia lamblia. These flagellate
parasites are usually contracted by drinking contaminated water or
sometimes by eating contaminated feces. Giardiasis, the disease
caused by Giardia, can range from asymptomatic (no visible signs
of distress) to extremely acute where the dog is severely ill.
Canine giardiasis should be treated since it is potentially
transmissible to humans and other animals.

Giardiasis is a malabsorptive syndrome. The parasites adhere to the
lining of the small intestine where they interfere with absorption of
nutrients. Light cases of Giardia often go undetected and many dogs
"self cure" by expelling and developing an immunity to the parasite.
In heavier infections, Giardia can interfere with absorption of
certain types of nutrients, especially fats and certain vitamins.
Fats are not absorbed and result in excess mucus in the stools which
are very pungent and diarrhetic.

The parasites interfere with normal metabolism by forming a physical
barrier between the lumen of the intestine and the absorptive cells.
Excess mucus results from malabsorption of fats while excess water
results in the diarrhea. The intestinal lining is not usually injured
so stools should not contain blood. The parasites feed on partially
digested food in the lumen of the intestine. They do not compete
directly with the host for food. Their metabolism is primarily
anaerobic, meaning that they do not utilize oxygen in their
respiration. They lack cellular organelles concerned with aerobic
respiration such as mitochondria.

The active stage within the host is the trophozoite (feeding body);
this is the only pathological form. The transfer stage of the
parasite is the termed the cyst. Giardia forms cysts by extruding
cellular food particles and other vacuoles and secreting a resistant
cyst membrane around the cell. This highly resistant cyst is then
passed from the host in the feces. Trophozoites may be passed but
quickly die. Cysts that are passed into water can survive for an
extended time, up to 1-2 months under proper conditions. Survival
times on land are somewhat less. A new host becomes infected by
drinking fecally contaminated water or eating the feces of an infected
animal. While food-borne transmission is rare, it has been documented
for humans. Dogs may become infected by drinking out of streams, lakes
or ponds containing Giardia cysts. Other sources of infection are
wild animals that visit the kennel area and deposit infected feces in
an area accessible to the dog. Scats of other dogs or wild animals
are potential sources of infection for domestic dogs. Giardia is
potentially transmissible to humans so caution is warranted.

Giardia can be difficult to detect even for professionals. It is too
small to be seen by the unaided eye. A high quality microscope is
needed for proper diagnosis; phase contrast microscopy is helpful. A
definitive negative diagnosis should include stools collected on
multiple days since cyst production tends to be cyclic with millions
produced one day and few the following day. The cyst is the
diagnostic stage of Giardia. Cysts tend to be approximately 9-15
micrometers in length and 4-5 um in width. Cysts are identified by
size, the presence of four nuclei, axostyles and claw-hammer shaped
median bodies.

The current drug of choice is metronidazole, known by the trade name
FLAGYL. Although highly effective it is a known carcinogen and
mutagen in mice. Quinacrine (ATABRINE) can also be used but is not as
effective. Treatment is usually one tablet per day for 7-10 days,
depending on the weight of the dog. Recovery is usually uneventful but
a dog may become reinfected after treatment. Thus, it is important to
try to isolate and eliminate the source of infection.

N. Heartworms.

Indications may not appear until a full year has passed since
infection. Because of this, the disease is often mistaken for another
problem. The most persistant sign is a soft, deep cough. After
exercise, the cough may be so severe that that the dog faints. Weight
loss, discharge of bloody sputum, listlessness, and weakness are also
common (from Carlson & Giffin).

The rest of the information on heartworms was adapted from a
very informative post by Kristin Thommes who posted it March 5, 1994.

THE HEARTWORM LIFECYCLE

Start with an infected dog. This dog has adult heartworms living in
its pulmonary arteries (they crawl into the heart after the dog dies).
Female worms mate with male worms and produce microfilaria (first
stage larva, L1, or a "baby" heartworm). The microfilaria enter the
circulation of the dog. When this infected dog with circulating
microfilaria is bitten by a mosquito, the mosquito will ingest 1 or 2
microfilariae. If the mosquito ingests more larvae than this, it will
die!

In the mosquito, the microfilariae (L1) will molt twice, to the L2 and
then the L3 stage. At the L3 stage, the larvae migrate to the
mosquito's mouthparts. Then when the mosquito bites a dog, the larvae
are deposited ON the dog's skin and then crawl into the bite wound
left by the feeding mosquito. If a mosquito with the L1 or L2 larval
forms bites a dog, they will NOT be transmitting heartworms to the
dog. Likewise, if the L1 forms are not removed from the dog's
circulation by a biting mosquito, they will die off. The L1 stage
does NOT "mature" into adult worms in the dog. So, the L3 larvae that
crawl into a dog bitten by a mosquito will develop in the dog's
subcutaneous tissues to L4 and finally L5 life stages. These then
enter the venous system and enter the heart. They travel to the
pulmonary arteries and become full-fledged adult worms, ready to
reproduce.

General principles of heartworm testing:

When a dog is tested for heartworms, a sample of blood is drawn. The
blood cells are lysed and the remaining sample is examined
microscopically for the presence of microfilariae. (This is the
Knott's test or Filter test, depending on how it's done). So, if no
microfilariae are seen, the dog is diagnosed as being heartworm
negative and you can restart medication. Because of the development
that the larvae must go through prior to becoming adult worms and
reproducing, it takes, on average, 6 MONTHS from the time a healthy
dog is bitten and infected until the dog has circulating
microfilariae. This means that a heartworm test done less than 6
months since a dog was bitten and infected will be *negative.* Dogs
that have been taking Heartgard present another problem in the
detection of heartworms. Heartgard will cause adult female worms
already present in the dog to become sterile, so the females will not
produce any microfilaria. Heartgard will not kill any adult worms.
The adult worms cause heart problems with dogs who have heartworms,
NOT the microfilariae. It is the adult worms that we are really
attempting to protect the dog from when we use preventative
medication.

So if a dog is on Heartgard and is tested for heartworms using the
Knott's test, chances are the dog will test negative even if there are
adult worms present. There is a different, more expensive test for
dogs who may have sterile worms. It uses a blood sample to test for
antigens produced by the adult heartworms. If the dog has heartworm
antigen, it has a greater than 99% chance of having heartworms. This
test should be used on any dogs that are on Heartgard since they will
not have microfilariae in their bloodstream. Likewise, if there are
only low numbers of circulating microfilariae, the Antigen test will
give a positive result where the direct Knotts (Filter) test may be
negative. Just like the standard Knotts test, the Antigen test will
be negative if the dog was infected less than 6 months ago.

It is therefore very important for those dogs on the monthly
medication to be tested with the Antigen test rather than the Knotts!

QUESTIONS

Can another dog can get heartworm by coming in contact
with an infected dog's blood? (transfusion, bite)

No. If a dog was infected and had circulating microfilaria, and these
microfilariae were transplanted into a healthy dog via a transfusion, the
healthy dog would NOT get adult heartworms because the lifecycle could not
be completed within the body of the dog. A mosquito is needed for
development from the L1 to the L3 stage.

Could a pregnant bitch with heartworms give them to her
own puppies?

No, for the same reason as above, you need the mosquito for the
intermediate stages between microfilarae and adult worms. While the
placental barrier will keep the microfilarae out, even if this barrier
broke down (which can happen), the pups will not be infested.

How do those medications work anyway?

There are basically 2 types of medication available that will help to
prevent adult heartworm formation in dogs that are negative. One type
is the daily medication Diethlycarbamazine (DEC). It works by killing
any larvae that have crawled into the dog from the mosquito within
approximately the past 36 hours. DEC kills L3 larvae. Once they molt
into L4's, DEC will not kill them and these larvae may develop into
adult worms.

PREVENTIVE MEDICATIONS

The monthly medications are Heartgard and Interceptor. Heartgard is
Ivermectin and Interceptor is Milbemycin Oxime. These medications
work by killing any larvae that have entered the dog up to 45 days
ago. They kill L3s, 4s, and 5s. These drugs are given monthly (30
days) for the convenience of giving on the same day each month and
also to give you a safety margin. If you forget to give your dog
his/her heartworm medication, you have about 15 days to remember to
give it and the dog will still be protected. With the daily
medication, forgetting for more than a day may result in your dog
becoming infected.

Most common ways that a dog will contract heartworms while on
medication include not being given medication on a regular basis (e.g.
completely missed dosages); traveling from a winter environment to a
summer environment like Florida without giving the dog heartworm
medication; not WEIGHING the dog while on the medication: the dog
outgrows its dosage; and the dog vomiting or having severe diarrhea
after being given its medication. What should you do if you forget
your dog's medication? *IF* the dog is on daily medication, give the
dog a monthly tablet within 45 days of the missed dose. Depending on
what you feel comfortable with, you can then restart the dog on the
daily medication, or continue giving the medication once a month.
*IF* your dog is on monthly medication, give the medication anytime
you remember, even if more than 45 days has passed. Giving heartgard
to a dog with heartworms will not hurt the dog, and until 6 months has
passed the dog will appear to be negative anyway. However, you should
NEVER give daily medication to dogs who may have circulating
microfilariae. The daily medication can cause an anaphylactic
reaction if given to a dog with microfilariae present. Giving monthly
medication will prevent the dog from acquiring a heavy worm load by
being bitten by multiple infected mosquitoes. Just be certain to have
the dog tested 6 months after the missed dose to be sure that the dog
did not acquire heartworms.

TREATMENT OF HEARTWORM DISEASE

Treatment for heartworms is difficult on the dog and prevention is
easy. If your dog tests positive for heartworms and you decide to
treat it, here is what will happen: Your vet will want to take a blood
sample to begin with to check the dog's liver function. The treatment
that kills the adult worms uses a drug called Caparsalate. This drug
is given twice a day for 2 days while the dog is in the hospital. The
dog must be kept quiet (caged) for 4 weeks after the adult worms have
been killed. It takes 7 to 17 days from the time of treatment for the
adult worms to die. Within this time, dead worms will fragment and
travel to the dog's lungs. If dead worms are numerous, some of the
blood vessels to the lungs will become blocked, and this is
inevitable. However, if the dog is kept quiet and only allowed to
move around enough to go outside, the blockage of pulmonary vessels
may remain subclinical. If the dog is allowed to run around, the
heart rate increases and many dead worm fragments will travel to the
lungs at the same time. This is what you want to avoid. About 4
weeks after Caparsalate has been given, the dog will be given a high
dose of ivermectin to kill the remaining microfilaria that are
circulating. Although this is a high dose of ivermectin, it is below
the lowest dose known to cause mild, self-limiting toxic side effects
in Collies. Obviously, after being treated, dogs should be kept on
heartworm preventative!

SUMMARY OF MEDICATION

Heartworm preventives include
Interceptor
Prevents hookworm infestations as well as heartworms.
Safe for Collies. Monthly.
Ivermectin
Excellent control of hookworms and roundworms as well as heartworms.
Has caused seizures in higher doses to Collies. Monthly.
Filarbits Plus
Contraindicated if microfilariae are already present in blood.
Controls hook, round, and whip worms to some extent. Can
be used in puppies 8 weeks or older. Daily.

[Cindy Tittle Moore]

Archive-name: dogs-faq/medical-info/part2

Last-modified: 29 Nov 1994

=======
The latest versions of these FAQ's may be found via the Web at
http://io.com/user/tittle/dogs-faq/homepage.html.

The multiple parts of the FAQ are all archived at rtfm.mit.edu

CANINE MEDICAL INFORMATION, PART II

Prologue
A. Hip Dysplasia (HD, or C(anine)HD).
B. Infectious Canine Hepatitis.
C. Kennel Cough (Infectious Tracheobronchitis).
D. Kidney Failure.
E. Leptospirosis.
F. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
G. Osteochondrosis Dissecans (OCD).
H. Panosteitis (puppy limp).
I. Patellar Subluxation.
J. Poisons.
K. Rabies.
L. Ringworm.
M. Thyroid Disorders.
N. Ununited Anconeal Process

Prologue.

Much of the information found in this article is summarized from
Carlson & Giffin. I would like to thank them for their informative
and accessible information. Any mistakes made in the summaries are my
responsibility and not Carlson & Giffin's. I believe that I am within
copyright laws by using summarizations (no direct quoting, except for
the toxic plants section), my own organization of the material, and
precise acknowledgement where relevant.
Cindy Tittle Moore

An *excellent* resource that details all aspects of health issues for
dogs, and one that every conscientious dog owner should have is:

Carlson, Delbert G., DVM, and James M. Giffin, MD. _Dog Owners's Home
Veterinary Handbook (Revised and Expanded)_. Howell Book House,
Macmillan Publishing Company, 866 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022 USA
(1992, 2nd ed). ISBN: 0-87605-537-4 (hardcover).
This comprehensive book is a complete guide to health care of dogs.
It lets you know when you can treat the dog, or when you need to
take it to the vet post-haste. It lists symptoms so that you may
inform your vet of relevant information about its condition. The
arrangement of the material facilitates rapid reference.
Illustration of key procedures (pilling, taking pulse/temperature,
etc). Lists poisonous substances, including houseplants.
A must have home veterinarian handbook.

A. Hip Dysplasia (HD, or C(anine)HD).

An *excellent* source of information on hip dysplasia is:

Hip Dysplasia
A Guide for Dog Breeders and Owners

2nd Edition 1989
By E.A. Corley and G.G. Keller

A single copy is available for a donation and multiple copies are
$3.00 each at Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, Inc, 2300 Nifong
Blvd, Columbia, MO 65201, 314-442-0418. It is informative, and
highly recommended.

The work is copyrighted and permission to reproduce the work was not
given since the costs of production are still being recouped, so only
highlights from the monograph are presented here.

Another excellent source of information on Hip Dysplasia may be found
in the chapter "Hip Dysplasia" in _Genetics of the Dog_ by Malcolm
B. Willis (Howell Book House). Information from this chapter is also
presented below.

1. In general

Hip dysplasia ("bad development") appears in people and many species
of animals. In some breeds of dogs, it is the most common cause of
osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease. Extensive research on
hip dysplasia suggests that CHD is a more complex disease than was
first thought. There are no simple answers or solutions to the
problem. The complexity of CHD results in research findings that
appear to be contradictory. However, many aspects of the disease have
been repeatedly and independently documented and are generally
accepted by the scientific community. Three important ones are:

* Canine hip dysplasia is caused by the presence of many genes
(polygenic). While no environmental cause has been found, many
environmental factors contribute to its expression in a particular
dog (phenotype).
* The only current means for reducing the occurrence of CHD is by
selectively breeding for normal hips.
* Radiography is the accepted means for evaluating the hip status.

2. Development

Regardless of what the initiating factor or factors may be, abnormal
looseness of the hip joint after 2 weeks of age seems to be the event
most commonly reported to result in hip dysplasia. However, there are
exceptions to this, and dogs with tight hips have developed hip
dysplasia.

The early changes are not easily detected. Severe cases may be
diagnosed as early as 7 weeks of age; others may not show up in
radiographs until over 2 years of age. This is why OFA only certifies
dogs over two years of age.

3. Breeding

Most inherited traits in animals are polygenic. These traits do not
follow patterns based on dominant/recessive pairs because polygenic
traits are affected by many genes. Only some puppies will have the
same combination of genes for a trait as the parents. Some will have a
more desirable combination while others will have a less desirable
pattern. As the number of involved genes increase, the possible
outcomes also increase. In addition, remember that it is also
possible for different genes to have a different level of influence on
the trait, complicating the outcomes considerably. Predictions of a
specific outcome from a particular mating involving polygenic traits
is currently impossible.

In Corley and Keller's opinion, a dog with excellent hips but with
more than 25% of its brothers and sisters affected with hip dysplasia
is a poorer breeding prospect than a dog with fair hips and less than
25% of its brothers and sisters exhibiting dysplasia.

4. Clinical symptoms

(from Corley & Keller)

"...[T]he signs [of hip dysplasia] vary from decreased exercise
tolerance to severe crippling. They include: a reluctance or inability
to go up or down stairs, difficulty in rising from a sitting or prone
position, bunny-hopping gait when running, stiffness early in the
morning that improves as the dog warms up, change in disposition due
to pain, lameness after exercise, wobbly gait, a clicking sound when
walking, and many others. Many dogs will shift their center of gravity
forward in an effort to relieve weight and pressure on the hips.
These dogs generally present a front end that appears well-developed
relative to the rear end.

"In dysplastic dogs, the hip joint is a weakened structure that is
more subject to being injured by normal activity such as jumping off a
couch, or rough housing with a playmate. Frequently, this results in
an acute lameness that in the mind of the owner was caused by the
injury, whereas the underlying dysplasia actually made the joint more
susceptible to injury. Obviously, the normal hip can be injured, but
the radiographic examination can usually distinguish between a hip
problem due to dysplasia and one due to other causes.

"CHD can not be diagnosed by observing how the dog moves, acts, lies
down, etc. The clinical signs may be caused by other problems;
therefore, a complete orthopedic and radiographic examination is
required before arriving at the conclusion that the signs are caused
by CHD."

5. Environmental Influences

Environmental factors such as type of food and exercise in puppyhood
have been shown to affect the displayed symptoms within the same
litter. However, subsequent generations from both groups showed the
same rates of dysplasia meaning that while the phenotype may be
affected, the genotype is what determines whether a dog has the
potential for being affected with HD.

In general, low protien diets and low activity levels through
puppyhood reduced the symptoms of HD markedly. However, the degree of
diet reduction and no activity may or may not be practical for the
average dog-owner to attempt. (See Willis.)

It's best to keep your puppy from any kind of jumping for the first
year or so in life. It's also best to keep from sustained exercise
until at least a year old. Sustained exercise includes: jogging with
owner, pulling weights, mushing, running with owner on bike, etc.
Even for dogs not at risk from HD, it's wise not to exercise too
strongly too early as such exercise may interfere with proper growth
of joints, leading to similar problems such as arthritis on the joint
or OCD.

6. Diagnosis of Hip Dysplasia

Any diagnosis of Hip Dysplasia must be made via expert radiographic
diagnosis. This involves taking xrays of the joint and typically
sending the film to organizations that will evaluate, register, and
certify the dog. Veterinarians will often "diagnose" the film
themselves but if the question is critical its best to have them
properly evaluated (unless, of course, your vet is experienced with
radiographic evaluation -- not all are).

You cannot, repeat, cannot make a reliable diagnosis of Hip Dysplasia
on the basis of external symptoms such as lameness or gait.

1. OFA

The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals is the most well known registry
in the United States. It grades all joints, most commonly hips, as
severe, moderate, fair, good, and excellent. It will certify all
passing grades givent to dogs over 2 years of age.

2. PennHip

PennHip is a new evaluation technique that flexes the limbs
differently to produce the xray pictures. There are only a handful of
vets around the country that have been certified to take xrays using
the PennHip method. Write to ?? for more information.

3. Genetic Disease Control, UC Davis

There is a program here for radiographic evaluation of dogs. Wind
Morgan is the most well known of these programs, offered to Labrador
Retrievers. There are similar programs for Rottweilers and a few
other breeds. Wind Morgan will certify at one year of age or older
and requires xrays of hips, elbows, and hocks. They will hold clinics
around the country to help hold costs down.

Genetic Disease Control is actually a larger effort to collect data on
all kinds of genetic diseases, of which Hip Dysplasia is only one.
They have registries and information on a wide array of diseases. All
their registries are open, in an effort to make more information
available to breeders in making informed choices about their breeding
stock. For more information, write to

GDC
PO Box 222
Davis, CA 95617
916-756-6773

7. Life for dogs with Hip Dysplasia

First of all, be sure that your dog has been accurately diagnosed with
HD. Many vets do not have the expertise in reading the x-rays, so you
need to be sure that an experienced radiologist reads them. If you're
not familiar with the competencies of the vets in your area, your best
bet is to have the x-rays sent in to OFA for evaluation. You CANNOT
definitively diagnose HD on the basis of external appearance or
palpitation of the joint or anything like that. Many things can cause
limping, some of which are correctible, so it pays to be certain you
have the correct diagnosis.

Diagnosis of Hip Dysplasia is not an automatic death sentence for your
dog! Because it is a polygenetic trait, the variability of expression
is actually quite wide. Some dogs may experience little or no
discomfort and you may never know they have HD unless you test for it.
Other dogs may experience more pain, but it may be easily controlled
with proper exercise and judicious use of aspirin under the direction
of a vet. Only a small percentage of cases are so crippled by HD that
they must be put down.

You *should* immediately neuter any dog that has HD. The only known
means of eliminating this disease lie in well-managed breeding
programs, so do your part by eliminating the possibility of your dog
contributing to the overall problem.

Discuss with your vet appropriate strategies for dealing with HD. In
most cases, the general advice is to keep the dog from doing any kind
of jumping or causing other sudden stress to the joints. However, as
solid muscle buildup around the joint helps to ease the pressure on
the joint, regular exercise is generally recommended, with swimming
topping the list as gaining the most benefit with the least stress to
the joints.

8. Treatment of Hip Dysplasia

In many cases, simple restriction of exercise and perhaps aspirin
as directed by the vet is all that the dog needs to remain comfortable.
However, there are several options for the more severely affected
dogs:

Non-traditional treatments (not validated by controlled trials):
* acupuncture
* chiropractic
* vitamin therapy (generally Vitamins C & E & selenium)
* superoxide dismutase

Medical therapy (aimed at reducing pain/inflammation from arthritic changes):
* aspirin
* bute
* adequan therapy
"Adequan is a polysulfated glycosaminoglycan which is used
primarily for treatment of degenerative joint disease in
horses. In fact, it is not actually approved in the U.S. for
dogs. However, I have seen remarkable results in many of my older
patients with chronic DJD. In theory, it stimulates increased
production of joint fluid and the joint moves more freely and
with less pain. It does not always work, but when it does, it is
usually dramatic." -Ralph M. Askren, DVM

Surgical intervention
* Triple pelvic osteotomy
Surgical procedure of choice in younger dogs without arthritic changes--
the pelvis is cut in three places and repositioned so that there is
a better fit between hip socket & femoral head--can't be done once
arthritis is present
* "Hip removal" surgery
Sometimes the head of the femur can be simply removed and the
muscles around the site compensate for the missing joints [more
typically done in smaller dogs]. The dog is pain free afterwards
and learns to walk again, but running and jumping are not done
normally again.
* Hip replacement surgery
Traditional treatment removes the dog's existing hips and cements
artificial hips into place.
* Uncemented hip prosthesis (subcategory of hip replacement surgery)
Dr. David J. DeYoung of NCSU, professor of orthopedic surgery in
the College of Veterinary Medicine, helped develop the prosthesis
based on a human version that is held in place without cement.
The prosthesis features a beaded surface into which bone and
fibrous tissue can grow and secure the components. More than 100
of the new prostheses have been implanted in dogs over a
five-year period without loosening or infection, two of the main
concerns with cemented total hip replacements,
* BOP shelf arthroplasty (don't remember anything about this one other
than it is experimental)

When the dog's pain cannot be controlled or alleviated
* Euthanasia

9. Prevention of Hip Dysplasia

There is no known method of preventing hip dysplasia except for a
thoughtful and carefully executed breeding program with regular
radiographic analysis of all stock before breeding. It is possible to
reduce symptoms entirely to the point where the dog will radiograph
much less severely [1], however followup studies show that these dog's
offspring have the same risk for HD as they would have whether the
parents had been so treated [2]. The implication is that it is
unethical to use as breeding stock dogs that were treated to prevent
their symptoms from disappearing. On the other hand, pet owners with
no intention of breeding their dogs might consider reading [1].

[1] Kealy, et al. "Effects of limited food consumption on the
incidence of hip dysplasia in growing dogs." JAVMA, v201, n6 Sept 15
1992.

[2] Willis, Malcom, _Genetics of the Dog_.

B. Infectious Canine Hepatitis.

(summarized From Carlson & Giffin)

This disease should NOT be confused with human hepatitis. This is a
highly contagious disease transmissible only to dogs. It affects the
liver, kidneys and lining of the blood vessels. It can sometimes be
hard to distinguish from distemper as there are a variety of signs and
symptoms that range from mild to fatal. Exposed dogs rapidly become
contagious and remain contagious throughout convalescence.

Fatal form: the dog becomes ill, develops bloody diarrhea, collapses
and dies. Puppies may die without symptoms.

Acute form: High fever, bloody diarrhea, possibly bloody vomit.
Refusal to eat and painful movements. The dog can become
light-sensitive.

Mild form: Lethargy, possible loss of appetite.

C. Kennel Cough (Infectious Tracheobronchitis).

This is characterized by a harsh, convulsive cough. It is persistent,
contagious, and often develops into secondary complications, such as
chronic bronchitis. This disease can eventually be fatal. If your
dog is exposed to many other dogs, or will be boarded at a kennel, it
should be vaccinated against this. It is so-called, because it
spreads rapidly under "kennel" conditions -- many dogs kept relatively
close together.

"Kennel Cough" is a generic name for a set of symptoms caused by a
number of organisms. These include parainfluenza as well as
bordatella, as well as many others. Dogs vaccinated with the
bordatella vaccine can still get "kennel cough" because of all the
bugs involved, but it tends to be much less severe.

Bordatella vaccine is squirted into each nostril of the dog and should
be repeated semi-annually. Parainfluenza vaccine should be a normal
part of your dog's regular shots.

The vaccination is not effective for the first 24 hours, so if you are
getting your dog vaccinated because you will be boarding it, get it
done at least several days in advance!

D. Kidney Failure.

Acute kidney failure, or kidney failure, is sudden and extreme and
requires urgent care. Usually the dog recovers completely if it
survives at all.

Chronic kidney failure, or kidney disease, is common in old dogs. The
kidneys slowly wear out over a long time. It can be diagnosed by a
blood test or urinalysis. Early signs include drinking and urinating
more, since the kidneys need extra water, and foamy urine is sometimes
seen.

Treatment is mostly dietary. They need a very low protein diet that
is also low in certain minerals. The kidneys are stressed by too much
protein and will wear out more slowly on a low protein diet. Dogs
with sick kidneys should be given all the water they will drink.

The best known kidney diet is Hills K/D, but there is also Hi-Tor
Neodiet, Neura Kidney Diet, and others. Some "senior dog food" is low
in protein as well, but not as low as the kidney foods.

If you have any reason to suspect it, have the dog checked by a vet.
Many old-dog kidney cases live happily for years with no special care
other than the food.

E. Leptospirosis.

(summarized From Carlson & Giffin)

In most cases the disease is mild. Primary symptoms are fever,
listlessness, loss of appetite and depression. Other symptoms involve
the kidneys: a "hunched up" look due to kidney pain, ulcers on the
mucus membranes of the mouth and tongue, thick brown coating on the
tongue, bleeding from the mouth or bloody stools, severe thirst with
increased urination. The whites of the eyes may turn yellow.
Persistent vomiting and diarrhea are common. This disease is more
prevalent in some areas than others.

Many dogs seem to be allergic to the leptospirosis vaccination.
If your dog is vaccination against lepto for the first time, keep
a close eye on it for a few hours afterwards. If the dog goes
into anaphylitic shock, get him back to the vet immediately.

F. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

Summarized from a set of articles posted by Jim Jaskie

Excessive licking:

Retrievers that lick their paws excessively, horses that "stump suck",
Dobermans that "flank suck" share the same disorder. The disorder is
generally mild and most people never notice it, but sometimes it can
go too far and become a hindrance to normal functioning.

Dr. Judith Rapaport (head of the Child Psychiatry Branch of the
National Institute of Mental Health and author of "The Boy Who
Couldn't Stop Washing") explored this area thoroughly, because of
similarities with a human malady called "Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
(OCD)." This is a disorder that induces unusual behavior such as an
irresistible desire to wash your hands, over and over, even when they
are not dirty.

The experiments at NIMH showed that this behavior is caused by a lack
of Seratonin. This lack can be caused by a genetic predisposition and
also by stress. Proper medication was shown to relieve similar
problems in dogs, horses and people! Some of the reported results
were on Labradors that literally licked the hair off of their paws,
dropping the habit completely after medication.

This research is also a landmark in the understanding of the effect of
some of the neural transmitters and has led to a whole new family of
some wonderful new medicines. This work has already saved dogs,
horses and people from one of nature's less pleasant maladies, and
promises to shed light on other problems such as epilepsy.

The medication that Dr. Judith Rapoport found to work for dogs with
acralick dermatitis as well as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is
Clomipramine (brand name is Anafranil). However, Fluoxetine (brand
name is Prozac) is now being used very successfully for OCD and has
fewer side effects. You should discuss this with your vet, who will
be able to prescribe these medications for your dog if it has OCD.

Some old-ish but very informative articles that describe this problem
are "Chemistry of Compulsion" by Robert Trotter in the June 1990 issue
of Discover magazine and the very thorough but easy to read article,
"The Biology of Obsessions and Compulsions" by Dr. Rapoport in the
March 1989 issue of Scientific American. Only the first article
specifically mentions Rapoport's work with dogs, but if you want to
understand what is really going on, read both articles.

G. Osteochondrosis Dissecans (OCD).

Osteochondrosis dissecans affects dogs of the large rapidly growing
breeds between the ages of four and twelve months. It usually is
found in the shoulder joints, but rarely it can affect the hocks or
stifles. It is due to a defect in the cartilage overlying the head of
one of the long bones. A puppy who jumps down stairs might sustain
such an injury. The tendency for cartilage to be easily damaged may
be hereditary. Repeated stress to the joint perpetrates the
condition. The signs are gradual lameness in a young dog of one of
the larger breeds.

Pain is present on flexing the joint. X-rays may show fragmentation
of the joint cartilage, or a loose piece of cartilage in the joint.
Treatment: The condition can be treated by confinement, or by surgical
removal of the damaged cartilage. Pain pills are not recommended, as
they are in most traumatic joint conditions, because they encourage
the dog to exercise which only further damages the joint.

H. Panosteitis (puppy limp).

Also called pano, this is an inflammation of the membrane covering the
bone and is relatively common. Rest, quiet, and sometimes a
vet-approved painkiller are generally recommended for the puppy. Some
vets recommend a reduced protien (usually an adult mixture) diet.
This can strike anytime between 6-18 months of age and rarely lasts
past two years of age.

If the limping goes from leg to leg (i.e., one day the dog limps on
the right rear leg and the next it limps on the left front), it is
very likely pano. Pano can also be diagnosed via x-rays.

Fortunately, lasting effects are uncommon, and most puppies outgrow
it. It is not known what causes pano, the belief is that there is
either a hereditary link, perhaps just a predisposition toward,
causing pano.

I. Patellar Subluxation

Thanks to Edwin Barkdoll for this summary, and to Jeff Parke for comments:

There are many types and degrees of patellar luxation. The patella
(kneecap) can luxate (dislocate) medially (towards the body midline)
or laterally (away from the midline) and can be traumatic or
congenital in origin. Small or toy breeds are much more likely to
have this problem than larger breeds and they tend towards medial
luxations; larger breeds tend to have lateral luxations if they
develop this problem.

A system has been devised for grading patellar luxations: Type I -
luxation seen only with leg in extension and when pressure is applied
to the patella directly say during a physical exam by the vet,
luxation resolves spontaneously when pressure is removed. Type II -
patella is usually in normal position, but luxates with pressure or
during flexion of the limb. The patella does not spontaneously
return to normal but can be returned to normal manually or by the dog
itself. Type III - patella is luxated most of the time but can be
temporarily returned to normal position manually. Type IV - patella
is always luxated and cannot be returned to normal position manually.

Surgical correction is not usually considered necessary unless the dog
shows symptoms - pain, gait abnormalities - but you should talk with
your vet about your options and get a second opinion if necessary.

Regarding surgical success, apparently about 50% of surgically treated
cases demonstrate _recurrent_ patellar luxation after 1-7 years
although the severity of the patellar luxation at followup was reduced
and about 90% (!) showed no signs of lameness. For the curious, the
(incomplete) reference for these data is Willauer and Vasseur (1987)
in _Veterinary Surgery_.

J. Poisons.

If you need to *induce* vomiting, first make sure that it's appropriate
to do so. Don't induce vomiting
* more than two hours after ingesting problematic substance
* when the substance is an acid, alkali, solvent, or petroleum product,
as it will do as much damage on the way up as it did the way down
* when dog is comatose or very depressed

To induce vomiting:
* 1 teaspoon hydrogen peroxide per 30lbs body weight; give once,
repeat after ten minutes; don't administer more than three times;
some dogs will drool and look miserable before vomiting
* 1 teaspoon syrup of Ipecac per 10lbs body weight; works quickly
* 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt placed far back on the tongue or dissolved
in 1 oz water; do NOT repeat dosage; dry mustard powder (same
instructions) may be substituted

1. Local Poison Control Centers

Check the emergency room of the local hospital and ask for the number
of the local Poison Control Center. You should have this number up on
the refrigerator alongside the vet's number and the emergency care
number.

2. National Animal Poison Control Center

The National Animal Poison Control Center (NAPCC) provides a 24-hour
emergency hotline that every dog owner should keep in plain sight.
The hotline numbers are (800)548-2423 and (900)680-0000. The 800
number requires a credit card number and charges a flat $30; the 900
number is $2.95 per minute for a maximum of $30.

The NAPCC is a non-profit service of the University of Illinois and is
the first animal-oriented poison center in the United States. Since
1978, it has provided advice to animal owners and conferred with
veterinarians about poisoning exposures. The NAPCC's phones are
answered by licensed veterinarians and board-certified veterinary
toxicologists. They have specialized information that lets the
experienced NAPCC staff make specific recommendations for your
animals; plus over 250,000 records are in their database.

When you call, be ready to provide:
* Your name, address, and phone number;
* If calling the 800 number, your credit card number;
* The species, breed, age, sex, weight, and number of animals involved;
* The poison your animals have been exposed to, if known;
* Information concerning the poisoning (the amount of poison, the time
since exposure, etc.); and
* The problems your animals are experiencing.

Household products and plants are the most common culprits in poisoning
cases. In the case of poisoning from household products, many companies
cover the costs the pet owners incur when it has been determined that
their product is responsible for the reaction.

For further information, write to: The American Humane Association, 63
Inverness Drive East, Englewood, CO 80112-5117, or call (303)
792-9900.

3. Foods.

Chocolate, tea, coffee, cola:

It is not chocolate itself that is poisonous to dogs, it is the
theobromine, a naturally occuring compound found in chocolate.
Theobromine causes different reactions to different dogs: dogs with
health problems, especially epilepsy, are more affected by theobromine
than healthy dogs. Theobromine can trigger epileptic seizures in dogs
prone to or at risk of epilepsy. The size of the dog will also be a
major factor: the smaller the dog, the more affected it is by the same
amount than a larger dog. Therefore, toxicity is described on a mg/Kg
basis.

Furthermore, theobromine can cause cardiac irregularity, especially if
the dog becomes excited. Cardiac arythmia can precipitate a
myocardial infarct which can kill the dog.

Theobromine also irritates the GI tract and in some dogs can cause
internal bleeding which in some cases kills them a day or so later.

Theobromine is also present in differing amounts in different kinds of
chocolate. milk chocolate has 44-66 mg/oz, dark chocolate 450 mg/oz
and baking/bitter chocolate or cocoa powder varies as much as 150-600
mg/oz. How much chocolate a dog can survive depends on its weight
(and other unknown circumstances). Under 200 mg theobromine per kg
body weight no deaths have been observed.

Theobromine will stay in the bloodstream between 14 and 20 hours. It
goes back into the bloodstream through the stomach lining and takes a
long time for the body to filter out. Because theobromine is
eliminated through the liver rather than through the kidneys, it takes
a long time to eliminate it.

Within two hours of ingestion, try inducing vomiting unless your dog
is markedly stimulated, comatose, or has lost the gag reflex. If your
dog has eaten a considerable amount of chocolate, or displays any of
the above symptoms, take it to the vet without delay.

In the absence of major symptoms, administer activated charcoal. The
unabsorbed theobromine will chemically bond to this and be eliminated
in the feces. In pinch, burnt (as in thoroughly burnt, crumbling in
hand) toast will do.

Nuts:

Walnuts are poisonous to dogs and should be avoided. Many nuts are
not good for dogs in general, their high phosporous content is said to
possibly lead to bladder stones.

Misc:

Onions, especially raw onions, have been shown to trigger hemolytic
anemia in dogs.

Potato poisonings among people and dogs have occurred. Solanum
alkaloids can be found in in green sprouts and green potato skins,
which occurs when the tubers are exposed to sunlight during growth or
after harvest. The relatively rare occurrence of actual poisoning is
due to several factors: solanine is poorly absorbed; it is mostly
hydrolyzed into less toxic solanidinel; and the metabolites are
quickly eliminated. Note that cooked, mashed potatoes are fine for
dogs, actually quite nutritious and digestible.

Turkey skin is currently thought to cause acute pancreatis in dogs.

4. Poisonous houseplants

In assessing the risk to your dog from these plants, you need to consider
both the age of your dog and it's propensity to chew on plants. Many of
the below toxic plants rarely cause problems because most dogs don't chew
them -- the exceptions being, of course, young puppies who are inclined
to explore the world with their mouths, teething dogs who may chew on
EVERYTHING, and older dogs that are simply fond of chewing. Oleander,
for example, is rather toxic, but most cases of poisoning involve
1) cattle, other grazing livestock 2) puppies and 3) human babies/toddlers.

Dumb cane is probably the one plant that should always be kept out of
reach, since it takes only one nibble to have a potentially fatal
situation.

(from Carlson & Giffin.)

* That give rash after contact with the skin or mouth:
(mums might produce dermatitis)

chrysanthemum poinsettia creeping fig
weeping fig spider mum pot mum

* Irritating (toxic oxalates), especially the mouth gets swollen;
tongue pain; sore lips; some swell so quickly a tracheotomy is
needed before asphyxiation:

arrowhead vine majesty boston ivy
neththytis ivy colodium pathos
emerald duke red princess heart leaf (philodendron)
split leaf (phil.) saddle leaf (phil.) marble queen

* Toxic plants - may contain wide variety of poisons. Most cause
vomiting, abdominal pain, cramps. Some cause tremors, heart and
respiratory and/or kidney problems, which are difficult for
owner to interpret:

amaryllis elephant ears pot mum
asparagus fern glocal ivy ripple ivy
azalea heart ivy spider mum
bird of paradise ivy sprangeri fern
creeping charlie jerusalem cherry umbrella plant
crown of thorns needlepoint ivy

5. Poisonous outdoor plants

(from Carlson & Giffin.)

* Produce vomiting and diarrhea in some cases:

delphinium poke weed indian tobacco
daffodil bittersweet woody wisteria
castor bean ground cherry soap berry
indian turnip fox glove skunk cabbage
larkspur

* May produce vomiting, abdominal pain, and in some cases diarrhea

horse chestnut buckeye western yew apricot, almond
rain tree monkey pod english holly peach, cherry
privet wild cherry mock orange
japanese plum american yew bird of paradise
balsam pear english yew black locust

* Varied toxic effect

rhubarb buttercup moonseed
spinach nightshade may apple
sunburned potatoes poison hemolock dutchman's breeches
tomato vine jimson weed mescal bean
loco weed pig weed angel's trumpet
lupine water hemlock jasmine
dologeton mushrooms matrimony vine
dumb cane

* Hallucinogens

marijuana periwinkle morning glory
peyote nutmeg loco weed

* Convulsions

china berry nux vomica coriaria
water hemlock moon weed

6. Poisonous household items

Acetaminophen Laxatives
AntiFreeze Lead
Aspirin Lye
Bleach Matches
Boric Acid Metal Polish
Brake Fluid Mineral Spirits
Carbon Monoxide Mothballs
Carbuerator Cleaner Nail Polish and Remover
Christmas Tinsel Paint & Remover
Cleaning Fluid Perm Solutions
Deoderants/Deoderizers Phenol
Detergents Photo Developer
Disinfectants Rat Poison
Drain Cleaner Rubbing Alcohol
Dye Shoe Polish
Fungicides Sleeping Pills
Furniture Polish Soaps
Gasoline Suntan Lotions
Hair Colorings Tar
Herbicides Turpentine
Insecticides Windshield Fluid
Kerosene Woodstains

7. Poisonous animals

Bufo toads. Found in various areas, especially in south Florida.
Very poisonous -- it can kill a small dog in a matter of minutes. It
burns the mucous membrane of the mouth (gums) which is why they drool
and foam, and that's also how it enters the bloodstream. It kills by
elevating the heart rate and blood pressure to deadly levels, similar
to the effects of chocolate. There is an antidote and the effects can
be lessened if you immediately flush the dog's mouth with water before
taking it to the vet.

K. Rabies

From information supplied by Margaret F. Riley:

Rabies is transmitted by body fluids--urine, saliva, or blood. An
animal that has rolled in a rabid carcass or has fought with a rabid
animal and has gotten saliva on its fur can still carry rabies home
to you and your family. Friends of mine are now being treated for
exposure to rabies after playing with the raccoon kits adopted by
another family. Only the dog is safe. Ironic, no?

For rabies to infect you, it must come in contact with the skin or
be ingested. Dogs and cats can ingest it by getting the saliva or
blood of a rabid animal in their mouths where it will be absorbed
through the mucous membranes. Humans are particularly at risk since
we have so many minute cuts in our skin, that if we touch our dog or
cat after he/she has met a rabid animal, we can become infected.
Dog safe, family rabid.

Rabies cannot be detected by a blood test since it invades the neural
system. The only detection at this time is by examining the brain after
death for signs of the infection. The incubation time is 3-6 months,
which is why the standard quarantine for animals in some countries is
6 months.

Call the local health inspector, animal control officer, or police if
your dog or cat has tangled with another animal that you suspect might
be rabid. Dogs and cats which have been vaccinated against rabies
should wear a tag at all times when not in the house to prevent being
destroyed to check for rabies. It is much more serious than a bite,
it is the transmission of body fluids which moves the virus around.

Additional information from kxd...@psuvm.psu.edu:

This debate on the transmission of rabies is beginning to sound like
the debate that has been raging about AIDS. What I learned in my
veterinary science courses and my animal management courses is as
follows:
* Rabies is transmitted through bite wounds, especially the puncture
wounds , as it needs a damp place for the virus to live and
"incubate". I have never heard it mentioned that the rabies virus
can pass through mucous membranes and skin, unless this is a new
development (or a new fear, like AIDS in the air).
* The virus travels along the nerves until it reaches the brain and
kills the animal. This is why the brain is needed for the test
and the test can only be performed if the animal has been killed.
This is also why the incubation period for the virus varies. The
virus is also very sensitive and requires very specific conditions
to survive.
* Most veterinarians will recommend another booster as soon as
possible if the dog has been bit or is suspected to have been bit.
The sooner the better to help protect against the virus before it
has time to spread.

L. Ringworm.

(prepared by Edwin Barkdoll)

Despite the name, ringworm is caused by a fungus _Microsporum canis_
and less frequently by other species. Ringworm infections remain
limited to skin and superficial structures like hair and less
frequently nails in cats and dogs. The infecting fungi require the
keratin in superficial skin layers and nails, horns etc for their
metabolism and furthermore do not grow well at the warmer temperatures
of subcutaneous tissues, hence the superficial distribution. Note
that ringoworm agents are obligate parasites - they normally live on
the skin, although not in pathogenic numbers.

It can be transmitted between animals by skin abrasion or mild trauma,
grooming tools, scabs etc particularly if the animal's immune system
has been compromised, e.g. with steroids. In a normal, healthy animal
ringworm infections are usually mild and self limiting, say 1-2
months. A major motivation for getting rid of a ringworm infection is
to prevent *you* the owner from getting it.

If it is a mild infection topical application of lime sulfur is
supposed to be good, although it can be smelly. Chlorhexidine shampoo
is also effective as is also a relatively new 2% miconazole shampoo
($$$). If the infection is severe, oral griseofulvin is effective but
also $$$.

The round, ring-like lesions are suggestive but _not_ diagnostic and
are not even the typical lestion in cats and dogs. The animal may
have itchy, scaly, crusty and hairless areas. Fungal culture is
probably the best diagnostic method but many vets are not set up to
culture fungi. A Wood's lamp can be used but not all ringworm agents
will fluouresce so absence of fluourescence does not mean no ringworm,
furthermore other things besides ringworm also fluoresce. In other
words Wood's lamp is not a great test. Microscopic examination of
skin scrapings may reveal the actual organism.

Finally, if you think your dog/cat has ringworm take it to the vet for
diagnosis and treatment. If it does have ringworm, *you* can get it,
but prevention is straightforward - treat your animal.

M. Thyroid Disorders.

Common symptoms are:
* seeking warm places to curl up
* lessened activity
* slow coat growth, brittle fur
* ring around the neck where fur won't grow, or loss of hair in trunk
* loss of appetite/excessive appetite
* dry, thickened skin
* prone to skin infections
* infertility

Dogs are often middle-aged or older, although this also occurs in
younger dogs. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual,
hypothyroidism is common in all breeds and all sexes, although the
incidence is highest in spayed females. Treatment involves daily
thyroid pills, a permanent regimen.

In the March '92 issue of Dog World is an excellent article,
"Autoimmune thyroid disease" by Dr. Jean Dodds DVM (a nationally
recognized expert on the subject) explains a lot about thyroid
conditions in dogs. She also goes to great effort to explain that
dogs can be hypothyroid WITHOUT showing the "classic" signs. She also
explains typical course of treatment and followups. There's also a
long list of breeds that are "predisposed" to problems.

[As a counterweight, note that many vets do not take Dr. Dodds
seriously because she does not publish in respected journals such as
JAVMA but rather in "popular" magazines. So always discuss fully and
candidly with your vet and bear in mind that many otherwise
"asymptomatic" dogs are diagnosed with low or abnormal thyroid levels.
This article is not attempting to argue one way or another over
Dr. Dodds' credentials, it's merely trying to be as informative as
possible.]

More subtle signs:
* overweight despite controlled diets
* thin coats (not hair loss)
* smelling bad
* chronic ear infections
* seizures.
* sudden changes in temperament

The article by Dr. Dodds points out that the "subtle" signs are just
now being recognized by the veterinary community.

There is another article about thyroid problems in the Sept or Oct
('91) _Dog World_, and again, pointing out more unusual signs in the
Sept. '92 issue of _Dog World_.

N. Ununited Anconeal Process

Ununited anconeal process has been knonwn for quite a while in in the
German Shepherd Dog, but can also occur in other breeds (Dobermans
and, increasingly, Golden Retrievers) It is really only one part of a
constellation of problems collectively referred to as elbow dysplasia.
One of the other things that can occur alone or with UAP is OCD
(Osteochondrosis Dissecans) of the elbow.

This is a serious condition because it usually results in arthritis
and efforts need to be made to be sure that the dog has enough
exercise to keep fit, but not so much or of the wrong kind that would
make the arthritis more severe. The condition should be handled
surgically by an experienced orthopedic specialist.

It is thought to be genetic, and OFA now certifies dogs based on
X-rays in the belief that its incidence will be reduced this way.