Is Your Dog Alone All Day

You wouldn't leave a young child alone in the house, would you? Then why would you leave a puppy or young dog in the house for hours at a time? Many people do it and it's not fair to the dog or the family.

Unless you are able to make some arrangements for the dog to be let out and have some social contact, at the very least every few hours, then you are sentencing him to solitary confinement and considerable discomfort.

Dogs are pack animals and they crave companionship. All dogs need social contact and exercise. If they are deprived of any of these, bad behavior will almost certainly occur - and it's not the fault of the dog.

Boredom and separation anxiety will manifest itself in destructive behavior and soiling of the house. Just ask yourself, how long could you tolerate being alone, with no books, no TV, no personal contact and no room to move around? How many trips to the bathroom do you make in the course of a day?

Putting the dog in a crate is only part of the solution. This will prevent any destructive behavior such as chewing furniture or personal possesions but won't solve the puppy's psychological problems, or his need for toilet breaks.

If the dog has been properly trained for the crate, he will have come to regard it as his safe "den" and will feel much more secure and comfortable in this environment but he will still need adequate and frequent toilet breaks.

It's necessary to consider the breed characteristics. Some breeds are more dependent on human company than others and this can be a big influence on their reaction to prolonged separation. Similarly, the more active breeds will suffer far more from long periods of confinement.

Imagine a border collie, shut up for long periods with no mental stimulation and no exercise! In no time at all, you'll have a very neurotic dog indeed.

So, if your dog has to be alone in the house for large parts of the day, as a minimum you need;

1) a place (probably a crate) where he can feel secure and comfortable with some toys and familiar objects;

2) some arrangement, possibly with a neighbor or friend who is familiar with the dog, for periodic breaks for toilet and a little exercise;

3) provision of drinking water, preferably just before the toilet break; and

4) some stimulation, such as a radio talk show or some music.

Toys can be a great distraction and comfort for your dog. There is a huge choice of toys which can keep him amused and allow him to chew to his heart's content. Buy a good number of toys, which will allow you to rotate them. Some toys allow small treats to be hidden in them, keeping him interested for longer.

It is vital that your dog learns that chewing anything other than his food or his toys is a definite No. It is best to limit his chewing to those toys which are specifically designed to be safe.

Any other approach can make the dog confused. If you give him an old sneaker to chew, you can't blame him if his next choice is one of your brand new business shoes.

Some trainers advise leaving one of your old garments in the crate with the dog. If he is allowed to chew this, then he may end up with your new golf sweater. It may be better to leave a few garments near the crate but out of reach, so he can feel the comfort of your scent.

As your dog becomes more accustomed to his routine, you may feel confident in leaving the crate door open but shutting him in one room, then gradually expanding the areas he's allowed in (making the bedrooms last, or not at all).

At the very minimum, you should ensure that he gets some freedom and exercise before everyone leaves for the day and when you return home, that he gets plenty of play and more exercise (with some fun training thrown in).

Source: Ken Charles

T-V show Actress Breaks Down In Front OF Audience

comedian Ellen DeGeneres broke down in tears on her own show when she revealed that a dog she had adopted, then given to her hairdresser, had been reclaimed and re-homed by the group that originally had the dog.

DeGeneres explained that due to having cats in her home, the dog did not seem to settle in well after she had adopted him. She gave the dog to her hairdresser.

When the rescue centre in question Mutts and Moms, found out about the decision to re-home the dog, they took action and reclaimed the dog, before re-homing it with a family of their choosing. It is believed that the contract between the veteran comedian and the rescue agency stated that if she was unable to keep the dog, she would return it to the rescue. The hairdresser's two children were reportedly distraught at having their new puppy removed from their home.

Ellen explained her sombre mood to the audience on her show

“I’m a human being and I have bad days and I have sad days. But when I walk out here and you all cheer and when you’re here to dance, you’re here to laugh, and I know I make people happy it changes my mood. I come out here and I can do anything because of the energy I get. But today is a hard day for me. Today is bad. I am not capable of coming out and pretending to be funny and ‘on’ when things are going so terribly wrong right now. I’m so sorry - I’m just not able to pretend.”

“Well, I guess I signed a piece of paper that says if I can’t keep Iggy, it goes back to the rescue organisation, which is not someone’s home, which is not a family. These two little girls had bonded to the dog. I thought I did a good thing. I tried to find a loving home for the dog because I couldn’t keep it. I was trying to do a good thing.

Because I did it wrong, those people went and took that dog out of their home, and took it away from those kids. I feel totally responsible for it and I’m so sorry. I’m begging them to give that dog back to that family. I just want the family to have their dog. It’s not their fault, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have given the dog away. Just please give the dog back to those little girls. I’m sorry I didn’t call you. I’m sorry I did the wrong thing. Just give it back to the family. Please, please, please."

Owners of Mutts and Moms Marina Batkis and Vanessa Chekroun had for DeGeneres have reportedly received death threats since the show screened and communicating through a lawyer that the dog will not be returned.
Source:K9 news

Queen of Mean leaves 12 million to pooch and nothing to grandkids.

The late Leona Helmsley, aka the Queen of Mean, left $12 million to her dog, Trouble, but not one red cent to two of her grandkids, reports the New York Post, and none to her 12 great-grandchildren either.

I would’ve never expected anything like this from someone nicknamed the ‘Queen of Mean’ and who looks so nice in the above picture… B!tch
posted by:NY Post

Every Dog Has Its Day

RAMAPO, N.Y. - Every dog has its day, and for those in this suburban town it's Sept. 9: That's when the pooches will have a pool party.
For the fourth year, Ramapo will mark the end of the dog days of summer with a canine swim at the town pools at the Spook Rock Park.
The event raises money for animal care, educates people about dogs, and gives the dogs a chance to have some doggone fun, organizers said Monday.
More than 250 dogs took a dip at last year's event, called the Dog Days of Summer K-9 Pool Party. Smaller dogs used the kiddie pool, while larger dogs used the main pool.
The town stopped the pools' chlorine treatment before the event because it couldn't figure out a way to keep the dogs from drinking the water. Humans weren't allowed in while the dogs were swimming.

E-fit issued over hammer attack

The victim was able to give police a descriptionAn e-fit picture has been released of a man who police want to interview in connection with a hammer attack on a 46-year-old woman walking her dog.
The woman, attacked in Kennington Park, Aveley, near Grays, on the morning of 7 August, was left with serious injuries.
She was released from hospital on Monday and was able to give Essex Police a description of the attacker.
He is white, 30 to 35 years old, with thin lips and staring eyes, a police spokesman said.