Behavior Problems | Moving? | Health/Nutrition | Recommended Dog Food | Supplies | Fun

Solving Behavior Problems

Dogs are pack animals and as such they have a highly evolved social structure. We as humans cannot pretend to fully understand it. All we can do is watch and draw conclusions based on what we know of ourselves and our own drives, since the dogs can't tell us what lies behind their behavior. Some of the most common dog behavior problems (jumping up, separation anxiety, etc.) stem from our lack of understanding (or perhaps acceptance) of their social customs.

For this reason, we at Tassie's Hope highly recommend, no, we URGE you to read The Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson. This book will help the knowledgeable dog owner to more fully realize the nuances of dog behavior and to recognize the most effective ways to shape those behaviors so that our fur-kids can live harmoniously with us in our homes. (And by using the link provided, you will help Tassie's Hope earn a referral fee for the sale of the book, which goes toward helping more companions like yours!)

For basic obedience training try:

Top Dog Training in Garland (used by a couple of people in our group)
All Breed Obedience Training Club at Flagpole Hill in Dallas
Advanced Canine Concepts in Dallas

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Moving?

Thinking of abandoning your best friend? Need an apartment that accepts pets? Below are some links and information you can download to help you and your furry friend.

Apartments:

Petapartments.com

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Keeping Your Companion Healthy

Our poor, poor rescued companions. What horrible lives some of them had before they came to live with us in our loving home. Here, baby, have another cookie.

Sound familiar? It's not uncommon at all for people to love their companions to death by overfeeding them. We all do it sometimes, don't we -- hand out treats like they were little morsels of love. It's fun and it makes us feel good. But there comes a point when too much of a good thing can be terribly unhealthy and cause medical problems and early death.

Common sense tells us we need to eat right, exercise, get plenty of rest, and have fun. The same rules apply to our dogs. They need a healthy diet without too much fat, exercise to keep their heart and lungs operating at peak efficiency, a quiet, comfortable place to sleep, and a family to do things with and go places with!

If your pet is sporting a few extra pounds, get some advice from your vet about getting him or her down to a healthy weight. It'll cost less in the long run (less food, fewer vet trips because of weight-related health problems), and it may extend his or her life, too. How do you know if your dog is overweight? Follow these guidelines:

• Dogs should have a defined waist behind the rib cage when viewed from the top
• Dogs should have a slight tuck-up at the lower abdomen when viewed from the side.
• Ribs should be easily palpable (feel-able) but not visible.

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Where to get supplies

Petsmart Online

Petco Online

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Recommended Dog Food

Some of our adopters feed their dogs Innova brand dog food because it's HIGHLY superior to literally ANY of the foods you can buy in a grocery store or pet store (like PetCo or PetsMart). It's made with human-grade foods, not the lesser-quality goods the other manufacturers use. If human food manufacturers deemed the food inedible, chances are it's in your dog's food dish!

If you're interested in reading more about Innova or how dog food is made, visit the websites below.

What's Really in Pet Food?
Innova's Ingredients List: Is this REALLY for Dogs???

Innova brand products are sold by Canine Commissary in Dallas & Plano.  You cannot buy it at a grocery store or pet store.

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Cool dog toys

If you've never tried a Kong toy, you might be very pleasantly surprised that such a simple toy can be such a big hit! They are hard rubber, hollow bee-hive shaped toys that have an irregular bounce, and can be filled with yummy stuff like cheese or peanut butter. They can keep a dog busy for quite some time while the dog digs out the food [wink]. Some popular recipes for Kong treats include

• plug the small hole with peanut butter, tip the Kong upside down and fill the big hole with alternating layers of kibble and shredded cheese. Set it upside down in a coffee mug and nuke it in the microwave for 10 seconds or so to get the cheese to melt into the kibble. Top off the big hole with peanut butter and it's ready to eat!
• plug the small hole with peanut butter, tip the Kong upside down and fill the big hole with the water from boiling chicken or beef. Set upside down in a coffee mug and freeze overnight. This makes a great "Kong-sicle" for hot summer days!

If your dog loves stuffed animal toys, you can find some great deals at Walmart. They usually have a stuffed animal bin, and if you dig around at the bottom or back, you can find the ones the children didn't want for about a buck. Dogs think they're great! Also, right after holidays like Valentine's Day and Christmas, you can find the holiday animals at super discounts.

There are some neat stuffed animals designed for the swimming pool, too. Covered with nylon instead of cotton or fluffy fabrics, they float and make great retrieving toys.

Give Your Dog a Bone!

Dogs love bones. They are an inexpensive way to keep your dog's teeth clean and white, without the risk of injury. Crunchy treats like Milkbones are not hard enough to chip tartar off of dogs' teeth, and rawhide chews can be dangerous. Some dogs chew off large, flat pieces and try to swallow them whole, where they can get caught in the dog's throat and choke them.

Raw beef marrow bones are perfect chew treats for dogs. They dig out the marrow and chew the ends of the bones, chipping away years worth of built-up tartar. Once the marrow is gone and the sinew on the outside of the bone is gone, throw the bone away and get fresh ones. You will most likely notice a great difference in your dog's breath and teeth in just a few weeks. When looking for beef marrow bones at your grocery store, try to get them 2-3 inches long. We find them most easily at Safeway.

We recommend giving a dog a fresh beef marrow bone about three times a week. At first, if your dog is not used to chewing on hard objects, his gums may bleed a little. It's like going to the dentist for the first time in years for a cleaning -- we may get a little sore and bleed a bit, but our teeth are healthier and cleaner. After your dog is used to the bones, you may want to give him as many as one or two a day. Raw beef marrow bones are just that good for dogs!

We also recommend feeding dogs RAW chicken wings. Yes, chicken! We're sure you've all heard that chicken bones are not good for dogs because they splinter. This is true of cooked bones of all kinds, not just chicken bones. Dogs must never, Never, NEVER be given cooked bones. Raw chicken bones are flexible and soft and will not splinter. We often buy in bulk at Pilgrim's Pride, Costco, etc. and freeze them. Dogs even love frozen chicken wings. They're like chicken-cicles! (WARNING: Do not feed turkey bones. Those are too big and we've known people to have problems with their dogs choking on them.)

Some dogs, if they aren't used to eating raw meats, may not know what to do with them at first, but with persistence on your part, your dog will soon discover the delights of raw bones.

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Fun Things To Do With Your Companion

Dogs are intelligent animals. They need a job to do or they get bored -- and potentially destructive. In today's society, it's not terribly common for dogs to have a "job" but what seems like work to us can be fun for our dogs. Just spending time with their owners doing obedience training can be rewarding enough. But just how much "heeling" does a dog need?!

After teaching basic obedience, you don't need to stop there. You can train your dog to do fun and amusing tricks, retrieve objects for you (and help clean the house by putting things where they belong!), dial 911, help get the family out of the house in case of fire -- all kinds of things! The limit is your imagination.

There are also some fun sports you can do with your dog, and neither of you has to be an athlete! If you live in the Dallas area, visit the local agility or fly-ball clubs to see how much fun those two sports can be. You can also teach your dog to pull a cart, and give rides to the kids in your neighborhood or cart the groceries home.

Dallas Area dog agility clubs:
ChutingStars Dog Agility in Carrollton
Center for Canine Sports in Garland
Advanced Canine Concepts in Dallas

For Flyball:
Advanced Canine Concepts in Dallas

For basic obedience training try:
Top Dog Training in Garland
All Breed Obedience Training Club at Flagpole Hill in Dallas
Advanced Canine Concepts in Dallas

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