By Lisa Mason, Contributing Writer

Pet owners should not just assume that since they have been invited to an outdoor family reunion that it is okay to let the family dog accompany them. There are many factors that will determine if it is okay or not, so pet owners should check into several things before they just show up and let Fido hop out of the car.

If the reunion is being held at a city or state owned park the pet owner should find out if dogs are allowed in the picnic areas. Even if the owner has taken the dog there frequently and knows it is allowed, that doesn’t necessarily mean it is okay for a family gathering.

Talking to the person who is organizing the event is the best thing to do, especially if it is being held in their backyard. They may not want dogs on their property for a variety of reasons. Politely ask if the dog can accompany you, and if they say no, graciously accept that without argument. Don’t refuse to attend the reunion just because your dog can’t go. Just because you are an animal lover, doesn’t mean everyone is.

If the reunion is being held in a park area that allows dogs, the next step is to find out as much as you can about distant relatives that may be attending. Is anyone else planning to bring a dog? Being the only one to bring their dog is much like being the only person to bring a child to a gathering. The child will quickly become bored and fidgety. The dog will also be bored as you catch up with relatives and pay very little attention to his needs.

Is the dog sociable around people he doesn’t know? Remember that there may be relatives showing up that you haven’t seen in a long time, if ever. Will the crowd of strangers make your dog nervous? Is the dog well behaved? Unruly children that annoy everyone will ruin a social gathering and so will an unruly dog that wants to jump on everyone.

Also consider that some people may be allergic to dogs or afraid of them. It’s quite possible that your second cousin’s daughter’s son might be afraid of dogs due to a past traumatic experience. He, nor his mother or grandmother will enjoy the reunion if the child is uncomfortable because your dog is there.

If most of the family members plan to bring their dogs, or if the person hosting the event has dogs and tells you it is okay to bring yours, then by all means, take your dog with you. Make sure your dog will be welcome before just showing up.

 If he is not welcome, leave him at home and shorten your stay if necessary, but do attend the reunion. You may never get the chance to see some of these people again, and your dog will be waiting for you when you get home.

About the author:  Lisa Mason is a dog owner and writer for  Doggie Clothesline. She loves helping others by writing about dog topics on a regular basis. 

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.

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.

Many new cat parents feel that having their cat declawed is doing their cat, and their furniture a service. After all, a cat that is declawed cannot scratch your furniture, shred your toilet paper, fray your rug, or scratch your kids, right? These points may be true, but there is a dark world lurking behind declawing your cat that many people overlook.

You're probably wondering what in the world could be the downside? Well, it is simple. Having your cat declawed could be a death sentence for your furry little companion. Cats have a natural instinct to go outside, whether you like it or not. Lets face it, you don't always guard the door with your life, especially when carrying in groceries.

My cat Misty, in the above picture, is not declawed. However, one simple incident where she slipped out the front door and now, Misty is a three legged cat that is worth a whopping $3,500.

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.

Though we highly recommend this brand, you should choose what works best for you and your dog.

I chose that model because Buddy is a very small dog and this was the only one we could find that was his size. In his lifetime, he will not weigh more than eleven or twelve pounds on average. He also likes to curl up in a ball and the closed bottom allowed him to do that comfortably while snuggling up to my chest.

If your pet seems to have issues attaching to people, a pet carrier can help comfort them. Buddy was a stray, rescued by myself and the kids (straight from the streets).  At first, he was a bit timid with people. Carrying him around in the Outward Hound Front Carrier helped him feel safe and secure.

New puppies also need this same sense of security because they have just been taken away from their mother and now need a new parent to cuddle with. After using the pet carrier bonding method, Buddy learned to cuddle without the pet carrier. But we still used it for a while after (and on walks when he got tired) so that he knew we still wanted him to feel close.

Have you tried a pet carrier for pet bonding? Let us know how it works for you in the comment section below.