The incident over the weekend when the German Shepherd/American Bulldog mixes attacked the woman who lived with them raised a few questions in the “animal behavior” side of my brain with my years of experience dealing with aggressive dogs.  I have had many clients ask me to train their dogs to be attack dogs but insist that the dogs be friendly to people who are non-threatening.  They want their dogs to be able to distinguish between someone entering their home as a threat or a friend, especially when the owner is not home.  This question is preposterous! Dogs cannot make that distinction!  So we are left to deal with people who instigate aggression in their dogs so that the dogs are “protection” without knowing what they are doing.  They create a dog with a hair-trigger who is likely to go off with the least bit of provocation. These owners are likely to suffer the dire consequences of the dogs attacking family members or unsuspecting, non-threatening victims, just as what happened over the weekend. 

The most likely scenario in this weekend’s incident may have been something called “redirected aggression.”  If the dogs were outside barking at someone or something, the dogs were in a heightened state of anxiety, adrenaline pumping.  If the woman attempted to pull them away while in this state, the dogs very likely turned and attacked because they were being thwarted from their target.  It can take several seconds to several hours for the adrenaline to settle down.  Until it does, dogs will continue to attack.

The bottom line: if you want a protection dog, buy a little dog who barks a lot.  Most people won’t go near a home with a barking dog!  Never, ever provoke a dog into aggression.  It's inhumane and dangerous.

I hold my breath with conflicting reactions when a new dog movie comes to theatres.  Beverly Hills Chihuahua opens this Friday, and I’m looking forward to seeing it because my family has a Chihuahua member – my brother’s dog.  The movie looks like it will be pretty lame but what the heck!  We can use some silliness in these stressful times. Unfortunately, the movie publicity creates a tsunami of demand for that kind of dog.  It was 101 Dalmatians in 1961 and again in 1996.  Beethoven bounded into theatres in 1992 and the St. Bernard was the have-to-have dog.  With all of the hype and the cuteness shown in the movies, people want to run out and get that kind of dog to recreate the magic in the movie.  Without doing the research on the traits and needs of the dog.  When Snow Dogs and Eight Below came out, the popularity of Huskies soared.

After the initial flood of interest, animal shelters saw an increase in the numbers of these dogs surrendered to shelters after each of these movies. People simply did not understand the characteristics of the breeds and were unable to fulfill the dogs’ needs.  I fear the same backlash with Beverly Hills Chihuahua.  These dogs are depicted in the media by the likes of Paris Hilton and Britney Spears as little toys that like to be carried around and pampered, just like they are!  In reality, most Chihuahuas have the personality of a big dog in a very small package.  They are usually not laid-back and cuddly.  They are wary of strangers and don’t like to be grabbed – which is sooooo tempting when you see a little dog!  They may challenge even the biggest dog with no regard to the consequences, and housetraining is often a problem.  With early training and socialization, many of these problems can be avoided.

Here at the ARL, we frequently see quite a few Chihuahuas come in – strays and owner surrenders.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we don’t see that inevitable surge in the coming months…

The Animal Rescue League’s first Carnival for the Animals on Sunday was a resounding success! Thank you to everyone who attended, and to those who exhibited and gave demonstrations.  Of course, lots of people brought their dogs and they were a well-behaved representation of ARL alumni as well as dogs from other shelters and rescues. As a trainer, I am very aware of the way that people interact with their dogs in public. To my dismay, I witnessed lots of yanking on leashes to get dogs to stop pulling, pushing down on rear ends to get dogs to sit, and even some yelling to get the dogs to listen. Steve and Mary Jo from Awesome Dawgs provided a fantastic demonstration of agility and obedience early in the day at the Carnival. I wish that all attendees could have watched it.  The experience of teaching your dog positive methods of obedience does so much for the bond between dog and human.  Dogs learn quicker and are happier when gentle methods versus force-based or punishment techniques are used. Some people don’t even realize the importance of dog training!  I like to call it “communications skills” because training teaches our dogs what our words mean. They need to learn our language.

I could go on and on forever about the merits of positive dog training. Let me hear your thoughts!

It’s going to be a beautiful weekend, so spend Sunday outside at the Animal Rescue League!  We’re having our first annual Carnival for the Animals to celebrate Pennsylvania's Week for the Animals.  There will be fun for everyone: games for kids, pet contests, exhibits, face painting, dog training demonstrations, pet photos, food, a silent auction, a dunk tank with local dignitaries, and a book signing. The festivities start at 11:00.  Don’t miss the unveiling of the mural in our new lobby at 1:30.  Painted by artist Terry Flannery, the mural shows our animal friends waiting for us at the Rainbow Bridge.  More information about the mural and opportunities to memorialize your pet in the mural are available at the shelter.

We hope to see you on the last day of summer at the Animal Rescue League – Sunday, September 21, 11:00-4:00!

We did it!  The PA House of Representatives passed HB2532 unanimously, and HB2525 passed by a vote of 181 to 17.  Now it's on to the Senate.  Please be sure to contact your senators to keep the momentum to get these bills signed into law!

Thank you to everyone who helped!

Barrie Pease, president of the Board of Directors of the Animal Rescue League, and I had the pleasure of attending the rally in Harrisburg today, accompanied by Barrie’s shelter dog, Lily, to support passage of House Bills 2525 and 2532.  When Barrie spoke to Rep. Caltagirone after the rally, he seemed optimistic that the bills would pass tomorrow.  In session yesterday, most of the proposed amendments had been voted down.  It looks like all of our hard work is finally paying off!

I was so happy to meet and chat with AnneMarie Lucas from the ASPCA and she shared with me some of the interesting forensics work that they are doing in New York.  She even posed for a photo with Lily!  What a wonderful lady she is; so down to earth and friendly. That's Bill Smith's dog, HB, with AnneMarie.

I was finally able to meet Helen Ebersole, president of United Against Puppy Mills.  She called into the ARL’s BCTV program last night to speak about their work and the fundraiser they are having next month (check out Upcoming Events for more information!).  Great job to all in her group, with special thanks to Liz McCauley for being on the show last night.

If these bills pass this week, it will be a great help for the dogs suffering in commercial kennels. But we still have a long way to go.

Please join us in Harrisburg on September 16 for the Puppy Mill Reform Rally from noon until 2:00pm at Soldiers Grove at the Capitol Complex to show support for House Bill 2525 and 2532.  Speakers at the event include AnneMarie Lucas from the ASPCA and Jana Kohl, author of A Rare Breed of Love. After the rally, we are all encouraged to visit with our representatives to persuade them to vote for the bills' passage.

This is so important, folks.  If you say you are an animal lover, then show up at this rally or call your representative to express your support for these bills.  It's a highly politically-charged issue with very strong lobbyists working hard to see that the bills are not passed. 

If these bills are not passed, it continues to make it very difficult for the Animal Rescue League to do its job of protecting the animals and charging the abusers.  Under the current law, our hands are tied.

Let's join together and do it!

The Gulf Coast dodged a major hurricane last week as pet lovers watched to be sure that the animals were safe as well. With the passage of the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act of 2006 after the Hurricane Katrina debacle, we all wanted to see if the new regulations held up.  They did.  Shelters in the affected areas made provisions to allow pets.

Have you thought about your plan if you needed to evacuate with your pets?  It’s not unheard of in our area to have a hurricane! I remember a few years ago when Hurricane Floyd came up the coast and dumped over 20 inches of rain.  My neighborhood was without power for three days. Although I did not have flooding conditions and was able to stay in my home, there were others in the area who were flooded and had to evacuate.

I’m watching the weather forecast this week and Hurricane Hanna is looking too close for comfort. When a storm is predicted, ensure that you have everything you need for you and your pets: food, water, medications, identification and vaccination tags, flashlight and batteries, and a first aid kit just in case. Stock up today instead of waiting for the day before!  I remember looking for bags of ice after Hurricane Floyd because the contents of my freezer were melting.  No ice to be found anywhere!  Plan today.

I apologize that my blog entries this week are about death.  But with death, I truly believe there can be lessons for life.  I promise next week to celebrate life!!  I wanted to tell everyone about the most precious Pit Bull who was here at the ARL.  Contrary to the often media-depicted stereotype of an aggressive killer, this girl was truly the standard for what a dog should be: incredibly loving to the point that she rolled on her back with legs fully outstretched for a belly rub, friendly to other animals, perfectly housetrained, and wonderful manners.  She recently charmed dozens of people at one of the events we attended.  In my years of working in shelters, training dogs and working with behavior cases, I rarely met such a combination.  Very quickly, it was discovered that she had a serious heart defect and she passed away on Monday.  The staff is still in shock and very, very sad.  Why did we have to lose such a great emissary for not just Pit Bulls but all dogs?   I wish that MY own dogs were as good as this sweet girl!  Please tell everyone that you know that we should not discriminate against breeds.  In every breed, there are good dogs and not-so-good dogs.  

And speaking of good dogs, you should see the St. Bernard we have at the ARL!  What a beauty!

Rarely a day goes by when there isn’t a sad story here at the Animal Rescue League.  An elderly cat is surrendered and needs to be put down; a stray dog comes in with arthritis who can barely walk…and on and on.  Death often becomes a daily, unwelcome visitor at so many shelters.  We paid our final respects last week to a fixture here at the Animal Rescue League - Rod Stewart, a feisty white rooster with head plumage resembling his rocker namesake during the 70’s and 80’s.  I miss him.

Why did the loss of a chicken sadden me so much when other animals pass on as well?  Was it because he reliably greeted me each day when I took a break to visit my barn friends?  Roosters are known for their consistency; Rod was always there.  Or maybe it was the way he chased me down the stone path, pecking at my pant legs as if to say, “Get lost and never come back!”?   But I always returned for another respite.  It became a game to see if I could elude Rod’s pursuit.  Or could it have been his confident demeanor as he led the other roosters in a group crow?  He knew how to stir up the barnyard.  The remaining outside roosters are silent now, sad from missing their friend and at a loss without their strong leader.

You’re in my heart, Rod…

Just like most animal shelters in this country, the Animal Rescue League regularly takes in dogs who have been involved with dogfighting.  It's a disgraceful practice with many side effects:  physically and emotionally abused dogs, irresponsible breeding of aggressive traits in Pit Bulls who normally have a very sweet nature, stealing of dogs to be used for bait, overcrowding of shelters when the dogs are no longer wanted, and other moral issues.  Nothing brought these problems to light more than the Michael Vick case last year.  Gladly, he was sentenced to 23 months in prison and many of his dogs found good homes.

On Sunday night, the Animal Planet premieres it's new show, Animal Witness.  The first episode is all about the Michael Vick case.  It's sounds like a great show. 

The Animal Rescue League hosts a show this Monday evening at 7:00pm on Berks Community TV.   Please tune in for a very different program.  As usual, we will have some adoptable pets from the shelter but our special guest will be Maria Pandolfi, the founder of Rat Chick Rat Rescue.  She has been a guest on many television shows, spreading the word that rats make good pets!  The Animal Rescue League has several rats up for adoption.  I have petted them (yes, I did!) and was surprised at how friendly they are.

In addition, Butch Ulrich from Breakaway Sports will be on the show to talk about the upcoming Doggie Dash and Walk on September 6.

It should be a fun show, so mark your calendars!

Has everyone heard of the woman who sold her house to finance cloning her dog?  She spent $50,000 and now has 5 exact physical replicas of her Pit Bull who passed away in 2006.  I can certainly relate to her loss.  My first Golden Retriever passed away almost 6 years ago, and I miss her every day of my life.  But since then, I have adopted three other Goldens who I love just as much.  I wouldn't have missed out on my experiences with them, plus I have the satisfaction that I rescued three homeless dogs.

Does cloning guarantee the same dog?  No, it doesn't.  It's the old "nature versus nurture" argument.  While genetics play a huge role in the behaviors of pets and people, the way we are raised can play an even bigger role.  These 5 puppies may look exactly like the original dog but their behaviors may be quite different.  And isn't it what's on the inside that we love, not just the outside appearance?  I'm sure this woman will love all 5 of these dogs, but they will not be the original.

An article on the MSNBC web site last week talks about how pet theft is on the rise in our country.  Possibly because the economy is recessed, people are stealing pets, especially expensive dog breeds, instead of spending money to buy them.   Some stolen dogs are showing up on web sites that sell expensive dogs as a way to make money, while others are given away as gifts.

Toy breeds such as Yorkshire terriers, Chihuahuas and toy Poodles are most vulnerable because they are small and can be concealed.  The dogs are being stolen from pet stores, animal shelters, people's yards and even from cars.

Cats are vulnerable too.  If people are unwilling to pay the small adoption fee from a shelter, they may just walk out with one.  According to the MSNBC article, a woman and her 3 children smuggled a cat out of a shelter in Idaho.

Take precautions to protect your pets.  Never leave them alone in the yard, in an unlocked car, or tied up outside of a store or restaurant.  Have them microchipped or tatooed and keep a current photo of them.  If your pet is missing, make sure you report it immediately to the police and the Animal Rescue League as soon as possible.