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Lessons In Dog Rescue: Aztec's Story

3/12/2013

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By Charlene Little, Contributing Writer

This is the true story of a dog who I literally saved from the shelter. He was scheduled for execution due to being vicious, even though it was just fear aggression. Animal shelters could learn a lot from this little guy, and the lesson his story could teach, would save many, many furry lives across the United States.
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I foster animals who are old, disabled, or in need of medical care. Many of the animals are old and are with me for comfort reasons because they are dying, or are going to be euthanized to protect them from the pain their disease or disability is going to cause them in the future. Unfortunately, this has been my call on a few situations. I judge when the medication is not working for them any longer, or when the disease has progressed to the point where their quality of life is too far diminished. Other dogs I get are post-surgical and are in need of having their stitches cleaned, medication being given to them, and maintaining a certain diet after surgery. However, this is the true story of a different type of dog. This story is of a dog that was incorrectly labeled, as many dogs in shelters are every day. Luckily, I was able to change his fate. However, many dogs in his situation are not saved, and are lead to their doom.

This dog was brought in as owner surrender. Animal control tried to work with this cute little guy but in the end, deemed him vicious. They had to use welder's gloves to get him into a dog carrier and were still scared of him. Mind you, this is an 8 month old Patterdale Terrier, and they were more afraid of this dog than they were a pit-bull that had attacked 3 people, killed another dog, and attacked a second dog on animal shelter property. They said this little guy was the most vicious animal they had ever come into contact with and he was the size of a purse. in return, they named him "Land Shark." I asked what was going to happen to him and they stated that he would be euthanized as soon as someone arrived to tranquilize him with a dart gun.

They took precautionary measures to keep him from "attacking." These measures included putting him in a kennel cage that had a trapdoor leading to another cage. In order to clean his cage, they had to bring out the pit-bull that was known for biting people and cage him outside. They then cleaned the pit-bull's cage and placed fresh food and water in it. They would open the trap door and allow the evil, ferocious little dog to run through and they closed the trap door. After they were done cleaning the cage, they allowed the pint size devil back into his cage with more food and water and brought the pit-bull back into his cage.

I asked why he was still wearing the leash that he had been brought in on and was given the response that if someone grabbed it, he would bite their hand off. I was shocked, this dog was about the size of a pack of hamburger meat and they were being this cautious and afraid.

I took a look at him and saw that he was shaking so bad that the bed he was on was shaking and the leash that was still attached to his collar was actually clinking. I went home and talked to my fiancé and my parents about the situation. We all agreed that this guy was worth a chance.

My fiancé and I went down to pick him up with a metal cage. This dog had prevented animal control from entering his cage for four days. He was so ferocious that you had to wear welders gloves to grab his leash that he refused to let anyone take off of him.

I signed the waiver stating that I was aware that he was a vicious animal and that they were not responsible for his actions and that I would not sue them if anything happened. Animal control loaded him into the cage where he bit, spit, and acted as a wild as a raccoon would if you picked him up out of your garbage can. We loaded him in the car where he snarled at anyone who tried to touch the cage.

My neighbor came over a soon as we pulled up to check out the commotion. He was scared of this little guy too and wished us luck.

We took the cage with him in it into the house and warned that no one should touch the cage. We let him watch us go about our normal lives for about an hour. Then he wanted out of the cage. He was whining and putting his nose through the bars of the cage and raising quite a ruckus. The cage was put in the computer room so that we could contain him, just in case. When we let him out, he was still scared and would lie next to your leg and not let you touch him. However, after about 20 minutes he decided that he wanted to be loved and petted and taken for a walk. That was the end of us thinking that he was a ferocious beast. He came around pretty quick. I figured it might take at least a week of being caged and fed before we would be able to think about petting him.

We then walked him over to my neighbor's house, the same one who was afraid of him. He was amazed by the turn around and the change in the dog. He was loving and wanted to be held and petted. He wanted to get in everyone's lap and be petted.

In all actuality we picked him up from the shelter at 2:30 PM and he was playing with my kids by 5:30 PM on the same day. Now the most vicious side of him is that he steals the kid's logos and runs off with their baby dolls when they turn their backs. He occasionally tackles one of them and you hear them screaming because the dog won't quit licking their face, or he wants the Lego's. Other times you hear them saying that they don't want to take him for a walk and arguing with him that going out in the back yard will do the same thing as walking him around the block on the leash.

It has been a year since Aztec left the shelter. To this day, we have not had a single problem out of him, other than the fact that he despises opossums and skunks. He is very well socialized and can go anywhere that we go. He loves the dog park, loves playing with other dogs and cats, and fears baby animals. He has passed all of his tests through trainers and is no longer deemed a vicious dog. Though he still holds a grudge against the people from animal control. I still foster for the shelter, but to this day, he refuses to allow my friends from animal control near him. Which proves that being at the shelter was a really horrible point in his life.

I don't recommend rescuing every animal from the shelter that is said to be vicious, but I do recommend that the animal shelters spend more time with the animals and give them a chance before they determine that they are vicious.


About the Author

  Charlene Little is the mother of three wonderful boys and a volunteer foster mom for her local animal shelter. She enjoys working with various breeds of dogs and cats in learning social behavior, training, and how to be the successful member of a fur-ever family. She enjoys studying animals' behavior and finding solutions to behavior problems that the everyday person can handle. She covers topics from various forms of aggression and small problem behaviors. Every problem behavior has a solution, and the solution is never to give up on your pet! Love, kindness, and small adjustments could be just what you need.
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Learning What Your Dog Needs Directly From Him: Time

7/11/2012

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By Charlene Little, Contributing Writer
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Is your dog seeming depressed? Is he nudging your arm, or just looking at you from across the room? It is possible that your dog is asking for you to spend time with him.

Spending time with your dog doesn't have to be playing fetch, or taking him for a walk. Sometimes, he just simply wants to sit by your side and get a good ear scratch or belly rub. Dogs crave attention when they are being good, and if you do not spend enough time with him, he might try to find trouble to get into that will get your attention.
Understanding your dog's needs is fairly simple once you get to know them. It is important that you take time out every day to spend with him, even if it is just petting him.

Dogs aim to please and if you ignore him, he will feel as though he has done something wrong or that you don't want him around. Sometimes, just walking by and petting him for a few minutes may be just what he needs to let him know that you care.

Make sure to spend time with your dog other than when he has done something wrong. This reinforces positive behaviors and will show him that he is being a good dog.

Don't forget to take time out every day to exercise your dog so that he does not feel under stimulated. This can lead to problem behaviors later down the road that you will have to train him out of.

Next time your dog knocks over the trash, ask yourself this question. Was he just trying to get my attention, or was he really trying to tear up the trash?

About the Author

Charlene Little is the mother of three wonderful boys and a volunteer foster mom for her local animal shelter. She enjoys working with various breeds of dogs and cats in learning social behavior, training, and how to be the successful member of a fur-ever family. She enjoys studying animals' behavior and finding solutions to behavior problems that the everyday person can handle. She covers topics from various forms of aggression and small problem behaviors. Every problem behavior has a solution, and the solution is never to give up on your pet! Love, kindness, and small adjustments could be just what you need.

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How to Tell What Your Dog is Thinking

6/24/2012

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By Charlene Little, Contributing Writer
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Aztec and I working on this exact post. He is such the lazy worker.
Through the years of working with dogs and training them. I have realized that many people do not know how to read their dogs. For the most part, people think dogs should react the same as humans do. This is not the case at all. We can learn to read our pets by watching them. You can learn their needs, their wants, and their behaviors to learn their comfort level. When people bring their dog to me for training, they say their dog is behaving this way or that way, and feel that their dog just has behavioral problems.  What humans see as behavioral problems, may just be a dog's natural instinct, or body language. Here is how to tell what your dog is thinking.


Body language is how dogs communicate with other dogs, and they can also communicate with you the same way.

Ears lowered and slightly back: Your dog is saying it is calm. Their mouth should be closed, and their eyes are calm as well.

Their ears raised and eyes are open, possible panting and tail wagging: I heard something I like, or I want to play.

Ears forward, alert eyes, pulls ears toward their head: I don't like it, and I don't want any part of it.

Eyes narrow, teeth showing, ears flat, tail held high for balance: I am going to bite it if it/he/she gets any closer. This is not a safe situation. Your dog feels threatened and wants to get away.

Standing tall with tail up: Confident, possibly thinking of playing.

Hunching over, trying to look small, tail between legs, pupils dilated: Your dog is afraid.

Front legs lowered, bottom in the air, tail wagging: Your dog is saying he wants to play.

Stiff legs and rigid body, ears flat back, hair on their back stands up on end:  Your dog is showing aggressiveness, or dominance.



About the Author

Charlene Little is the mother of three wonderful boys and a volunteer foster mom for her local animal shelter. She enjoys working with various breeds of dogs and cats in learning social behavior, training, and how to be the successful member of a fur-ever family. She enjoys studying animals' behavior and finding solutions to behavior problems that the everyday person can handle. She covers topics from various forms of aggression and small problem behaviors. Every problem behavior has a solution, and the solution is never to give up on your pet! Love, kindness, and small adjustments could be just what you need.
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Learning What Your Dog Needs Directly from Him: Stimulation

6/22/2012

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By Charlene Little, Contributing Writer
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My dog Remy is normally a very well behaved pup. Imagine my surprise when I walked outside today, he had destroyed my flowerbed. There were pink petals everywhere and he had covered himself from head to toe with dirt. My first instinct was to get upset. I then realized, I had been so wrapped up in my morning that I forgot our daily game of fetch. He had torn up my flowers because he was bored.

If your dog loves to do things like this, you may think that he needs more training or you are not strict enough. The rules and his training may not be the issue.  By watching your dog's behavior, you can learn what type of stimulation he needs more of. Many cases of your dog getting into mischief can be solved by the follow topics.

Toys: Ensuring that your dog has toys that suit his needs is very important. Chewing is a way to relieve tension and frustration. It also helps a dog keep their teeth clean and prevent decay.

Outside Play: Giving your dog a good amount of outside play is a great opportunity to exert some energy and get the necessary stimulation. Dogs that are well exercised are calmer inside the house, and find less trouble to get into. A game of fetch will benefit you and your pup.

Walks: Some dogs need two to three walks per day to keep them happy. Other dogs need more exercise. Walks are a great way to socialize your dog as well. After a controlled introduction, your pup can spend some energy romping around with a playmate and give you a much needed break.

A Second Dog: This is not recommended for everyone, but some dogs thrive better when they have a live-in play mate. This does add more time that you will need to spend with your pets, but if you are a pet lover, this may be a great opportunity to expand your family. This may be especially true if you work away from home and your pet gets into mischief because he his bored when you are gone. If getting a second pet is not for you, schedule play dates with a friends dog. This could give him much needed socialization without a long term commitment.

Let your pet show you what he needs more of. We all need exercise to feel calm and collected, so does your pet. Good communication between you and your pet is the easiest way to find the solution to problem behaviors.


About the Author

Charlene Little is the mother of three wonderful boys and a volunteer foster mom for her local animal shelter. She enjoys working with various breeds of dogs and cats in learning social behavior, training, and how to be the successful member of a fur-ever family. She enjoys studying animals' behavior and finding solutions to behavior problems that the everyday person can handle. She covers topics from various forms of aggression and small problem behaviors. Every problem behavior has a solution, and the solution is never to give up on your pet! Love, kindness, and small adjustments could be just what you need.
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Lessons Humans Can Learn from Hamsters

6/3/2012

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by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff
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Image © Lyn Lomasi; All Rights Reserved
When our family adopted our first hamster, we knew we'd learn a few things. But we were thinking more along the lines of hamster care and responsibility. Throughout our time in caring for various hamsters, we have actually learned quite a bit more. Humans can actually learn many important lessons from hamsters. Here are my favorites and what I feel are the most important things hamsters teach people.


Store Food for Later Use

If you've ever had a pet hamster, you likely noticed that they'll take their food from the dish and find a place in their cage to store it. Each time a hamster is fed, they will move some or most of the food into this storage area. Some people store up extra food for emergencies. Yet others do not. What will you do if there is an emergency, such as a natural disaster? What if your family suddenly loses a main income source? Are you storing food for later use? If not, take a lesson from the hamster and start building up your food supply. Stockpiling can be squeezed into any budget.

Exercise Often

We’ve rescued many hamsters, over the years. One noticeable similarity is that they all exercised several times per day. I don't know how on earth hamsters run on the wheel so fast for so long. But they do it. Hamsters also like to climb the cage, run around the cage, climb on people, run through obstacle courses, and so much more.

Each moment they are awake, hamsters are doing something active. Leading an active lifestyle is good for a hamster's health. Staying active is also healthy for you. So, take another lesson from hamsters and stay active. Spend less time on your couch and more time doing activities that get you moving. From yoga, to racing with the kids in the backyard, to hitting the nature trails, swimming at the local pool, and more, there are plenty of ways to stay active.

Sleep is Important

Our hamsters like to sleep. They sleep a good portion of time throughout the day. While they are extremely active during their waking hours, hamsters sure know how to nap. Although hamsters are classified as nocturnal, they also have some diurnal tendencies. We often rescue hamsters when we have room and have had experience with several. One thing I noticed with all of the hamsters right away is their sleep pattern. Every hamster we have adopted breaks up their days and night into sections.

They're usually active for two to three hours. Then, they'll sleep for about the same amount of time or longer. This cycle repeats itself throughout the day. While most people cannot follow that exact schedule, it’s important to take a lesson from hamsters about how important sleep is. Refresh your body each time you do something strenuous. If you work hard, you need to get proper rest afterward. 

*I originally published a version of this via Yahoo Contributor Network
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