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Faux Fur Vs Real Fur

noreply@blogger.com (Teena Patel) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Here is a Field Guide to Telling Animal Fur from Fake Fur

WASHINGTON — The Humane Society of the United States has once again discovered that Neiman Marcus advertised and sold animal fur online as "faux" — this time it was a $1,300 Burberry women's jacket.

More than 50 years after passage of the Fur Products Labeling Act, and despite being named over the last several years in a legal petition, a lawsuit, and numerous investigations for the sale of falsely advertised or falsely labeled animal fur garments, Neiman Marcus was advertising a $1,300 Burberry jacket online as "faux-fur" three weeks ago. Upon purchases and inspection, The HSUS discovered the fur was actually real, and labeled "finnraccoon" — a name used by the fashion industry to market fur from a canine species commonly known as the raccoon dog.

Is it fake? We went undercover with hidden cameras looking for fur-free fashions. But no matter what some of the salespeople said, we looked inside. You won't believe some of the things we found.

"This is real fur, this is similar to raccoon dog. Dog. You don't want dog around your neck? No
I don't think so."

We sent our undercover producer out shopping. Along with Pierre Grzybowski, a fur expert with the Humane Society of the United States.

At Arden B. -- a popular chain of women's clothing stores -- at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, we found a vest for $68. The label says suede faux fur.

"Does it have fur," our producer asked.
"Anything that we have... we don't carry real fur," the salesperson replied.
"You don't carry real fur?"
"No," the salesperson confirmed.
She said Arden B. is fur free! A second salesperson said the vest was too cheap to be real.
"OK, so no chance?"
"Absolutely, no way," the salesperson said.
So we bought it.
In the car our fur expert cut open the backing.
"This is the inside of the fur trim," Grzybowski said adding, "you can see little pieces of skin that have been stitched together."
It turns out, according to our expert; this faux fur is a phony!
David Goldstein: "That's actually the skin of an animal?"
Pierre Grzybowski, HSUS: "Yes, whatever animal has been killed for this, this is their skin."
David Goldstein: "Definitely real?"
Pierre Grzybowski, HSUS: "Definitely real. Absolutely."
He says it's consistent with rabbit or fox that has been dyed. You might think that kind of fur is worth a lot of money. But not these small pieces.
Pierre Grzybowski, HSUS: "This could have cost a couple of dollars if even that much."
We went back to Arden B.
David Goldstein: "Did you know this was real fur?
Salesperson: "I thought, I think it's fake fur."
The salesperson says she was duped by the label. The company said when we told them what it was, they pulled it off the rack.
Across the mall at Grasshoppers children's clothing we asked the same questions about a $350 girl's jacket.
"Is that fur?"
"It's not real fur," the salesperson replied.
"I just don't want to put real fur on a baby."
"I know."
"So, it's faux fur?"
"It's fake."

This time the label said the shell is nylon, lining and padding polyester. No mention of the trim. The salesperson said that means it's a fake.
"If it's real fur they say real fur," the salesperson said.

But after cutting it open...
"Let's see what the backing is," our fur expert said while opening the jacket. "This is the skin and it has absorbed the pink ink."
Animal skin. Our expert says it's consistent with something called raccoon dog.
David Goldstein: "What is raccoon dog?"
Pierre Grzybowski, HSUS: "It's the most misrepresented and unlabeled fur sold here and this animal was found to be skinned alive in massive numbers."

Investigators from the Swill Animal Protection Agency found raccoon dogs being raised by the millions in China -- caged and in inhumane conditions. A member of the dog family, their pelts sell for less than it would cost to make fake fur.
David Goldstein: "This is real fur. This is similar to raccoon dog. Dog. You don't want dog around your neck?
Salesperson: "No."
David Goldstein: "I don't think so."

The salesperson said she didn't know. The owner told me his wholesaler said it was fake fur.
"What if I told you this was dog? What do you think?"

We also found fur that our expert said was consistent with what they have found to be raccoon dog on a coat at the Burlington Coat Factory in Huntington Beach. It's made by Rocawear, the line created by singer Jay-Z. The salesperson didn't seem to care.
David Goldstein: "In the dog family. What do you think of that?"
Salesperson: "I don't care. I come to work. I do my job and I go home."

The label said nothing about the fur on the collar. Neither did the label on a men's jacket we found at Bloomingdale's. The salesperson said it was a fake.
"I really don't think it's real fur," the salesperson said.

Our expert said real fur, possibly fox or rabbit. The bottom line is none of these manufacturers or stores are doing anything wrong because of a secret loophole in the federal labeling laws.
"The loophole is that if the fur is valued at less than $150, there doesn't have to be any mention on the label that there is animal fur on the jacket," Grzybowski said.

That is right, so no matter what the label says if the garment just has a small amount of fur, they don't have to tell you if it's real or fake! So how do you know?

One way is to try and look deep into the fur.
"You want to push the hairs apart and try to get down to the base of the fabric," Grzybowski said. "If you see skin, that is real fur."

On fake fur, if you look closely you see fabric -- not skin -- at the base of the fur.
"The differences are stark," Grzybowski said.

If you cut them open you can really tell the difference.
"This is your real fur, it's leather," Grzybowski said while pointing out a sample of real and fake fur. "This is your fake fur. This is fabric."

That's the best way to tell -- not looking at the label or listening to the salesperson.

Shoppers Beware.

Military Branch Bans Pit Bulls

noreply@blogger.com (Teena Patel) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

On January 5, 2009 the Department of the Army sent out a memo informing residents of military housing that a ban on Pit Bulls (a term commonly used to describe American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers and Staffordshire Bull Terriers), Rottweilers, Doberman Pinschers, Chow Chows and wolf hybrids would be taking effect across all US army bases. The wording in the memo actually reads "American Staffordshire Bull Terriers and English Staffordshire Bull Terriers" which is odd because there are no such breeds that go by those names. It seems that the people enforcing breed bans don't know anything about dogs... no big surprise there. Base housing for the army was privatized in 1996 and is run by six different companies. The Residential Communities Initiative (RCI) is a board with representatives from these companies who make policy decisions for the base housing they operate and are the ones ultimately responsible for this decision.
Air Force bases and Naval bases, like Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville NC, are following suit after a 3 year old was attacked by a dog belonging to non-military friends. A ban would not have saved this young boy, but the base is instituting a ban rather than addressing the problem of irresponsible pet ownership directly. There has been a ban on Ft. Bragg regarding Pit Bulls and Wolf Hybrids since last year.
Personnel who had their dogs registered prior to the ban can have them grandfathered in (exempted) from the ban. However, contrary to what many housing officials had originally told soldiers, moving from one base to another with a grandfathered dog is not permitted. Members of the military move frequently, so even a grandfathered dog is on borrowed time. The family will move eventually and be forced to find alternate housing off base or be forced to give up a member of their family.
There are reports of many members of the army moving to other bases and being told they could register their dogs, only to move into base housing an be told a different story. It is unclear whether or not housing officials were unclear about the rules or intentionally misled families to avoid making waves until the family would have no choice but to give up their dog or move off base.

Sergeant Stubby, decorated WWI veteran
A second major issue with these bans has to do with the problem of breed identification. How do you know a dog is a Pit Bull, a Doberman, a Wolf hybrid, etc.? According to the memo... it is a banned dog if base officials think it looks like one. Have you ever seen a mix between a Labrador and Boxer? I have and the resulting dogs look a LOT like... Pit Bulls. But they are in no way related. Any German Shepherd, once considered by the media to be one of America's most inherently "dangerous" dogs because of the years of selective breeding for attack work, could be called a wolf hybrid. Did you know that the black and tan pattern common to Rottweilers is also present in other breeds? Labradors come in black and tan! The color is not commonly bred for because it is not considered standard for the breed, but it does crop up from time to time and if you have a black and tan Lab, you'd better watch out. As far as base housing is concerned, you have a dangerous dog.

"The American Watchdog: We're not looking
for trouble, but we're ready fot it."
The last problem with these bans has to do with the rationale behind them. They fail to address the problem of irresponsible ownership and have nothing do with the actual behavior of individual dogs. A dog could be perfectly well-behaved and have no aggressive tendencies and still be confiscated from a soldier who has sacrificed for our country because of an imaginary threat perceived by a housing committee. A Labrador could be tied up in a backyard with no human contact, slowly becoming withdrawn, unsocialized, aggressive and neurotic, and nothing is done about it until it bites a child. Yet the neighbors well-trained Doberman is not allowed on base.
There is no proof that one breed of banned dog is any more dangerous than another breed that did not make the list (German Shepherds, Akitas, Boxers, Mastiffs, etc.) To protect people from dangerous dogs it would make sense to deal with dogs that are actually dangerous, strictly enforce leash laws and offer help to people whose dogs have or are devloping behavioral problems. Members of the military have little or no say in where they move and even though the option to live off-base is available, what if their dog is banned off base as well? What if they have a mixed breed dog and one day base housing officials come to their door and decide that, after years of residence and service from the soldier, the family can no longer keep their companion because they do not like how it looks? We owe it to our military service members to not put them in this position.
Months after the U.S. Army banned residents of privatized housing from owning "dangerous or potential dangerous" dog
breeds, the Marine Corps followed suit.

In August, the Marine Corps passed a rule that disallows purebred and mixed-breed Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, and canine wolf hybrids aboard Marine Corps installations. However, residents who already own one of these breeds have 60 days to apply for and meet the guidelines of a "grandfather" clause waiver, which will be approved or denied by the local installation commander This will allow them to keep their dogs until Sept 30, 2012, after which they must get rid of their dogs or move to other housing.

The waiver requires dogs to pass a nationally recognized temperament test, such as the American Kennel Club's Canine Good Citizen or the Delta Society's Delta Test.

Teena's comments; After all military does for us, this is how we treat their family and their animals... I think this whole Breed Ban is just the most ridiculous thought ever, and we should combat it by changing the breeds names. For example, we should now call Pit Bulls, Love Bullies, Rottweilers, Fern Der Welt (Aloof from the world), German Shepherd, Alsatian (since in the U.S. they are not recognized as the same breed as the German Shepherd), etc.

After all businesses do this all the time, when one is weak or has a bad reputation a healthier company will acquire them to use the strength of their brand and name recognition to leverage the business to better health. Businesses will often just change the weak business' name and start all over again. Why can't we apply this strategy in saving the breeds that are discriminated upon?

I met Stedman...

noreply@blogger.com (Teena Patel) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

So, how crazy and cool is this! And, as many of you may know... I am not even a groupie, or a fanatic about famous people, but I was super excited about meeting Stedman.

Thanks to one of our clients, Holly (Jayden, Roxy and Nellz's mum) I got to attend Stedman's Seminar on "Identity" at the Fullsail University.

This was such an incredible seminar, and what an inspiring fellow he is, and of all the people in the world who can talk about the importance of developing an identity for your self, what an irony that he is.

Here is a person, who has his own identity challenged every single day. No matter where he is, who he is talking to or who he encounters, everyday he is "Oprah's boyfriend." When you talk about the importance of developing an identity for yourself, you are not talking about an identity based on someone elses' work, aspirations, desires, dreams, goals, visions, wealth and fame... you are talking about your own.

Before starting the seminar, Stedman handed us a mike, and asked for us to introduce ourselves, by name and where we are from. We were not even 10 people into the introductions, and someone stands up and says, "Hi, my name is so and so, and I am from such and such, and I just want to say I am Oprah's biggest fan... I love her, I love her show... blah blah blah."

So here is a man who's identity is constantly challenged by our society, by the media, by everyone... but the fact that he knows "him," the fact that he trusts himself, admires himself, knows what makes him happy, knows what he wants for himself, knows what his dream is, he is confident in himself to make that happen, no matter the barriers and challenges the world throws at him.... This is not what he said, but it is what I gathered from his seminar.

I could write a series of posts on "My Day with Stedman" as I spent lunch and an hour break time with him (amongst 5 others).... he is truly a very inspirational man.

Thanks Holly!

Ticks.... Doglando Safety Measures

noreply@blogger.com (Teena Patel) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Just as we prepare ourselves by spraying "OFF" or some sort of a mosquito repellent before hiking through the woods, as of today, all Staff at the University of Doglando will be encouraged to "roll" around in Neem Oil before entering the main Doggie Day Care areas.

Okay well not literally "roll" but we will pat ourselves (the bare parts of our bodies) with Neem Oil as a precautionary practice to prevent exposure to ticks.

As for the dogs, all dogs attending, dog training classes, dog boarding, dog grooming or doggie daycare at Doglando are required to be on a monthly Tick and Flea Preventative. In addition we will offer to spray every dog down with an All Natural, organic neem oil spray that will help repel ticks and fleas. This spray is not be solely relied upon for dogs attending daycare at Doglando as we will only be offering this as an additional source of prevention.

Dog Responsibly.

Ticks and Dog Training

noreply@blogger.com (Teena Patel) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:40:00 +0000

A Dog Trainer's Life with Lyme Disease

Today I had an awakening.... I learned about a dog trainer who's life has completely changed after being diagnosed with Lyme Disease. As most of you know, I am not a big fan of all the topical treatments, and am constantly looking for equally effective if not more effective treatments for pet owners to use on their pets that are natural, harm free, pesticide free and will keep their dogs free of fleas and ticks, but I sit here today baffled just like all of you.... on what to do.

Here's the story:

Being diagnosed with Lyme Disease this past August certainly explained the mysterious range of physical and neurological problems that plagued me for months: the unrelenting fatigue, why I kept forgetting my client’s names, why my hands started to become arthritic, and why I started to lose interest in my business and everything else in my life.
My treatment began immediately, with heavy doses of antibiotics. The antibiotics would bring down the bacterial load in my system so that my immune system could do the rest. But as the bacteria die, they release a toxin causing what is called a Herxheimer reaction. This means that before you feel better, you feel a whole lot worse.
The added complications were that I had just started a set of dog training classes at a new facility and I had been invited to give two presentations at the APDT conference in October. Both were tremendous personal and professional opportunities that I was not about to give up due to extremely bad timing. So, I became determined to do both and continue to work as much as I could during my treatment.
First, I backed off on taking on new private clients so I could channel my energy into the dog training classes that were already underway. I contacted several other local trainers, who were also good friends and asked them to take on my clients. Their support became vital. Next, I enlisted the help of my husband and another friend/trainer to supervise and assist me during classes to make sure I was mentally and physically on the ball. With great effort, I could pass for my normal self for around two hours before collapsing in a heap.
Next, I had much preparation to do for the APDT conference, as my presentations needed more content, video editing, polishing and practicing. My ability to concentrate was greatly hindered by both Lyme and the antibiotics. I soldiered on, getting in as much as I could on the days that I was not teaching.
During the first month of my treatment, I ached in different places in my body everyday. Some days my knees would swell, some days my back ached, some days my I would have a headache as the Herxheimer reactions progressed. I continued to have arthritis and swelling in my hands and feet which made even holding a leash challenging. But the constant buzzing, the feelings of an electrical current running through my hands and feet started to go away after about two weeks.
During the second month of treatment, my memory improved, as did my ability to concentrate and multitask. I could pick up a book again and read pages one after the other. For many months, I could not read more than a page at a time, having to re-read the same passage in order to comprehend adequately. I didn’t get lost in my thoughts as I had. The mental fog was beginning to clear and just in time.
As the APDT conference approached, my dog training classes graduated and I was able to put more time into polishing and practicing my presentations. My energy really started to come back in small increments the week before I flew to Oakland, California. Luckily, I convinced a trainer/friend to attend the conference with me at the last minute. She made sure that I got on the right plane and was my chaperon.
As I stood for the first time on the APDT stage, I was exhilarated and humbled, but also thinking how close I came to not being there because of Lyme Disease. I thought about how many other people might be walking around with Lyme or other tick related illnesses and have no idea as the bacteria spread with no warning signs.
I came back from APDT simply exhausted on a personal and professional high. I’m taking an extended sabbatical the rest of the year, as I finish up antibiotic treatment and want to take the opportunity to make other people aware of their risks working and living in Lyme endemic areas.
Unfortunately, there is no test that tells you that Lyme Disease is really gone from your body. Many times, the bacteria can return in force and symptoms need to be monitored if the infection does come back. Additionally, tremendous care must be taken to avoid re-infection. There is no immunity again a new Lyme infection and many times additional exposures cause more intense symptoms. For me, this means giving up my outdoor teaching location next to a field frequented by deer and always wearing long pants and tick protection outside with my clients and my own dogs.
As trainers, as dog guardians, and as folks that just enjoy the great outdoors with our dogs, tick borne diseases are a threat to us all. Protecting and educating ourselves about Lyme and other tick borne illnesses needs to be part of our lives. Recognizing the symptoms of Lyme can ensure early treatment, so the disease doesn’t have to progress beyond an acute infection.
There are many great resources for learning about Lyme including the Lyme Disease Foundation and the recent documentary “Under Our Skin”.

Dog Responsibly.... please get into the habit of checking your dogs. Not just for safety, but this would be a great way to build a healthy relationship with your dog, as the "grooming" behavior is part of a dog's social life when amongst other dogs.

"New" Doglando, Name Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Teena Patel) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Continuing from yesterday's late entry, we have a challenge for all you pet lovers...

Coming up with a business name as cool, catchy and fun as Doglando is hard. To come up with a name that also allows for cats, makes it that much more difficult lol.

So I need your help. I would love to still be able to tie in "Doglando" to the business name for our new location if possible, but more importantly it should encompass all pets.

Put your creative cap and let's see what you all come up with.

Looking forward to it:)

Doglando Expansion

noreply@blogger.com (Teena Patel) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:00:00 +0000

Dear Doglando Family, Friends and Fans,

Thanks to all those who support us, believe in us and most of all our staff.... Doglando will be opening a second location soon. Slightly different, "new Doglando" will not per say offer daycare and cage free boarding, however we will offer pick up and drop off from that location to our main campus.

"New Doglando" will be a pet grooming and specialty pet food center, we will offer dog training, dog grooming, pet sitting services, self serve dog wash station, and pet taxi services (such as taking your pet to the vet etc). "New Doglando" will be located in the live / work unit at Avalon Park.

Now for the real fun... a contest for all of you.

We need a fun, catchy name for this business. Being that we will carry cat food as well as offer cat grooming... we think its only fair to not use Doglando... but have something that is more connected to both dogs and cats... such as the word "pet" possibly.

Here are a few suggestions:

Doglando Lite
Purrfect Bark
The Pet Concierge
The Pet Stuart

If you have any ideas or suggestions, please post them as comments to this post. We will be voting for the winners towards the end of this month... Winner gets a free grooming for their dog at our "new location."

I can't wait to hear your ideas.

Thank you

Teena

Meet Astrid.... Doglando Mum on M/W/F

noreply@blogger.com (Teena Patel) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Today is my turn to share some of my thoughts with all of you dog lovers ☺ some of you know me because your dogs come to daycare on my days (M-W-F) my name is Astrid .

It may have occurred to you, as it certainly has to me many times, that you feel very sad whenever you read or listen about how many dogs are in need of a home, how packed the shelters are, and all the dogs that are abused. It looks like a big problem as many others we can’t fix or do something to make it better, well let me tell you that’s not true. I really think if all the people that feel bad about this do as little as possible all together we can make a huge difference, so today, I want to talk about some ways you can help dogs.

As you may know there are a lot of shelters in Orlando area, some of them are NO KILL shelters and some others like the county pounds, they only give the dogs 7 days to get adopted ☹ -this is really sad- I know they are trying to help the animals and we know they are overpopulated, but it breaks my heart to think how many wonderful dogs are dying, Let me share with you the statistics of 2007-2008 for orange county.

Total Impoundments - 24,292
Animals Saved (adoptions, transfer, rescued) - 4,903
Reclaimed Pets - 1,657
Euthanasias - 13,434

The first time I went to Orange county animal services it was really sad ,I wanted to take all of them home, so, while I was walking through the aisles I told my friend ,I want to help all of them and she told me this story:
“One day someone was walking on the beach, and saw a Starfish by the shore. And everywhere she looked it seemed she saw a thousand more. Then appeared a boy, and as the Starfish washed ashore, he threw them back again. ‘One starfish won’t make a difference son; you can’t change this situation.’ He stopped and picked up one more starfish, and then looking right at her, he said “I can make a difference for this one, and returned it to the sea.”
After telling me the story she said it’s the same with dogs we can’t save all of them but we can make a difference for some of them. “There’re still many to be rescued – many Starfish on life’s shore. And you can make a difference too…by saving just one more.”

So here are some things we can do:

*DON'T SHOP! ADOPT! 25% of all dogs brought into shelters and county pounds are pure breed.
Their adoption fees usually range from $50 to $350 so you are saving a lot of money and you're helping save that animal from being put to sleep.
Here is a link where you can see most of the shelters in Orlando area.

*You can be a FOSTER PARENT. This is great for people who want to learn more about different types of animals but do not have the desire to keep them all permanently. ( sometimes it doesn’t work this way and you end up falling in love and that’s why now I have 3 dogs )
The shelters can help rescuing more dogs if they have more foster homes available.
As a foster parent you have the opportunity to save a life, and you ensure that once that dog has a home he/she won’t be returned, because you will be able to help the shelter understand the dog’s needs and that way they can place it in the correct home.
This takes patience, love and respect for what the animal has been through but it is nothing but completely rewarding.
*DONATE supplies. Shelters need the basics such as towels, bleach, dog food etc. Buy an extra bag of supplies and bring it to your shelter. This will help bring down the costs it takes to care for a homeless animal until it gets adopted.
*DONATE TIME, two hours of your time per week to help walk the dogs. It sounds easy but the shelters are really in need of this.
If you come in for just two hours you have the ability to help walk at least 6 dogs that have been crated for hours.
And this is good for everybody:
It's good for the dogs because they get fresh air, a chance to stretch their legs and to go to the bathroom. It's good for you because of the exercise you'll get and it's good for the shelter because it's one less cage that they will have to clean the poop out.

*SPAY AND NEUTERED. If you have animals spay and neuter them. By helping to spay /neuter you are preventing unwanted animals from being born and therefore being put to sleep. Many counties have low cost spay / neuter programs.
You can visit www.luvmypet.com to see if there are any low cost spay/neuter programs in your area.

*TEACH your children the importance of adoption and spay / neutering. Children are the next generation and one day they will grow up to have pets of their own. Make sure they realize that a pet isn't a disposable thing. Teach them to value life in all its ways, dogs are really our best friends. And always teach them to DOG RESPONSIBLY.

Smart Phone apps for dogs

noreply@blogger.com (Teena Patel) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Here is something fun for all those whom have iPhones.

iPhone Doggy here we go:

1. Pet MD Finder: Health portal, PetMD, has a free Finder that can help you locate key pet services in your area. Whether you're in a new neighborhood, planning a vacay, or simply curious what your city has to offer, this app is essential since you can search by either zip code or current location via GPS.

2. Dog Whistle: If you are feeling adventurous (or goofy) try out Dog Whistle, a free app that claims to help you train your dog to do tricks and stop barking.

3. Off Leash: (Free) OFF LEASH is the first application that helps you find an off leash dog park near you. Use the Locate Me feature on your iPhone or enter your zip to find the fun. It can pinpoint the 5 parks closest to you. When you see a park that you want exact locations for, select it from the list and it will map the driving directions for you! While our database is not 100% complete, we welcome our growing pack of dog lovers to send us any dog parks we may have missed. We'll keep updating our database every 2-3 weeks. To send us an update, click the info button on the main page within the application.

4. Shake and Bark: (Free) Nobody deserves an iPhone app more than your dog. That’s why we’ve created Shake & Bark. All you have to do is take your dog’s picture, record their bark and enter their name. Then, shake your iPhone and listen to it bark. If your dog is the silent type, choose a prerecorded bark. You can also record a ‘talking dog’ message or assign a bark to a photo. However you use it, you’ll have as much fun with Shake & Bark as you do with your furry little friend. Shake it up.

5. Dog Town Puppy Piano: (0.99) Have you ever wanted to play Dog "Jingle Bells", well now you can! Dog Town has sampled and assigned a dog bark to a chromatic scale. Play songs for your friends using the on-screen piano keyboard. Dog town features photo quality graphics which are activated as you play the keys. You don’t have to be a dog lover to enjoy Dog Town. Even your own dog might agree, Dog Town is fun for all ages.  

Dog Town has a 13 note chromatic scale of the dog's bark assigned to a 1 octave piano keyboard. As you play the note from your iPhone, you can make dogs sing your favorite melodies. As you play, dogs of all types jump from the fence to sing to you. Great entertainment for dogs & music lovers of all ages!

6: Find Parks: Looking for a nice place to play with Fido? Try the free Find Parks app, which will find the closet park to your location with a couple taps.

If you know of others, and would like to share them with our readers, please add them on your comments.

Dog Responsibly.

Conformation VS Quality

noreply@blogger.com (Teena Patel) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Breeding for Beauty

As we approach the holidays, I think its important to refresh every one's mind on where our dogs come from, the other choices we have, and help educate those that may be new into pet ownership to guide them into making the best choice they possibly can. I would like for each and everyone one of you to please read this article and take time to watch the video below. Please do not cross out of it an any point in time, and pass it on to everyone (including child) you know.

My challenge to all of you is, if we get 1000 legitimate readers to post a comment on this blog (after watching the video) by the end November 26, 2009 and have each one stop by Doglando with a print out copy of their comment to the post, then the University of Doglando will donate $1000 to a charity of choice of our readers.

It was not until I sat in one of Pat Hastings workshops, the "Puppy Puzzle" that I realized how corrupt this ENTIRE industry is. I mean, I knew it, but really did not know all that much that goes into the show world.... its really no different politically than any other organization or competition. What the breeder interprets as good looking, or best representation of the breed, is who wins.... and its just luck as to who the judge really is... every judge will have a different opinion. So my question is why should all those opinions matter anyway, who cares about the looks, why don't we judge on soundness, and structure, and natural movement/motion... why do we judge at all anyway? Because we are judgemental by nature.

We should now this, our society is one of that which gets aroused on visual appeal, good looks, cuteness, and anything overt that makes us melt.... and little do we think about structure, so we like a dog with a mushed in face, and the more mushed in it is, the more cuter we find the dog to be, with no regard to what the effects of a squashed, tight, nasal passage way may cause the dog.

While I was doing my MBA my Business Law professor one day said "for any man made law there is a man made loop hole." That quote really stuck to me, because it is so very true. For example, for breeders to "show" their dog(s), their dog(s) have to follow the kennel club breed breed standards. So lets take that breed standards as the "law." Completely made up by humans, that can be changed at any point in time, by humans, there are so many variations and interpretations of what is acceptable and what is not. What it's not, is its not natural.... these dogs would NOT survive in the wild or as strays and that's because of the human involvement which is so largely based on the worst (looks), not better health).

Documentary - BBC - Pedigree Dogs Exposed

bordercollie19 | MySpace Video

Nothing saddens me more than this stuff.... I mean here we have "educated" dog people, while when dealing with people who buy dogs from pet shops may truly just not be educated.... granted its all wrong, and although so much attention is drawn on puppy mills, what about the show ring? During Pat Hastings workshop she was talking about stacking a dog properly... and she went on to state, if a dog that is genetically sound, structurally sound was lifted off the table (in a particular way to be stacked), and then placed back on the table, the handler WOULD NOT have to adjust the dogs feet to align the dog, because he/she was build correctly. Anytime the handler has to fidget with the dog, and teach them to stand in a certain manner, there is something preventing the dog from doing that naturally. So, bottom line is, the dog could potentially still stack in that manner, but would not be able to assume that position for too long before pain catches up to him/her. Think about this, I have issues with my knees, I can bend my knees and sit on them, however, not for too long. Structurally, something is wrong with my knees, and I can not sit like that for a longer period of time before I become stiff, or my knees lock. But if I had to do it for a show, to win beauty points of some sort, I think I could pull it off for a short time. Worst is that dogs don't complain, and are so much more tolerant than we are, so we just assume they are fine with the adjustment.

Bottom line is, that the poor quality of our dogs, and the poor quality of life our dogs live is not just the fault of puppy mills, back yard breeders, responsible breeders and everyone else who takes part in the production and manufacturing process of dogs, its also the fault of the judges. Judges reward the dogs with exaggerations, then everyone jumps on the band wagon. Another example of this is the health problems associated with the Merle gene and the "cool" pattern it has on the dogs.
This leads to the ridiculous extremes that prevail in the show rings and then the whelping boxes. It takes a great judge with courage, knowledge and no regard to political uproar of his/her convictions to select the proper specimens. If there was truly a test to conduct this "proper specimens" I guarantee you, the dog population would be cut by as much as 90%. Is that not an astounding thought?

Let's pull together for this challenge and make one Charity's Thanksgiving a very special one this year.

Dog Responsibly Pet Parents

A Four-Figure Tax Break For A Four-Legged Friend?

noreply@blogger.com (Teena Patel) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:15:00 +0000

A tax break for pet parents??? Let us know what your thoughts are on this.

Here's the article:

Republican Rep. Thaddeus McCotter of Michigan has thrown pet owners a bone by sponsoring a bill that would allow them to deduct animal care expenses from their taxes.

The bill, Humanity and Pets Partnered Through the Years, or "HAPPY Act," would allow taxpayers to deduct up to $3,500 a year. McCotter declined to speak to NPR, saying he is focused on more pressing legislation, but he did explain his motivation for the tax break on DoggyTV, a YouTube channel.

"Well, we've had reports of people having to turn in pets because of the economic recession," he said. "And when you think about the relationship between people and pets and the humane way that it helps people think, it seemed to me to be a good idea, and we dropped it in" to the congressional hopper.

To be sure, there are thousands of bills introduced every year, and most of them go nowhere. Then again, this bill has a pretty large target constituency: More than half of Americans own pets, by many estimations. That means there could be a lot of support for McCotter's proposal.

Mixed Reactions

EnlargeChip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Republican Rep. Thaddeus McCotter of Michigan is the primary sponsor of a bill in the House that would allow pet owners to deduct animal care expenses from their taxes. He calls it the HAPPY Act.
"Are you kidding?" said Beth Selby, a visitor to the National Mall from Georgia, when asked about the proposed tax break. "Pets are an option. You know, when you take on a pet, you take on their care."

Tom James from Pennsylvania was uncertain. "I'm sort of on the fence with this one." But Pablo Otera, also from Pennsylvania, said, "Hell, yeah." He said he recently spent $4,000 on his dog, Petey.

"He fell off my truck, needed surgery, needed therapy, needed a whole bunch of stuff," Otera said. "That's $4,000 I could have deducted from my taxes ... and food, too!"

You could almost see the adding machine in Otera's head. And that's part of the point, McCotter told DoggyTV: Anything that puts cash back in Americans' hands during the economic crisis is a good thing. If the bill gathers enough support, he says, it could actually go somewhere.

"Obviously, health care is on the front burner," McCotter said. "But when the time comes, if people are letting their members know they like it, they'd like to see them get behind it, I think that will be helpful in this instance."

But until there is a public outcry of support, it's unclear how doggedly the congressman will pursue the HAPPY Act.

What do you think Pet Parents? Will this help us Dog and Pet Responsibly?

Smart Phone apps for dogs

noreply@blogger.com (Teena Patel) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:13:00 +0000

Does my dog need doggie daycare?

noreply@blogger.com (Teena Patel) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Who says doggie day care is just for those dogs that have way too much energy?

In today’s world of having to spend an increasing amount of time in your cubicles, work-from-home jobs, behind computers and self check out, where by human-to-human communication is slowly becoming minimal, no wonder we seek so much friendship amongst our dogs.

The sad part of it all is that as humans, as social creatures, our social interactions are lessening, as well as our patience, ability to understand, communicate and comprehend others and leading a healthy balanced lifestyle of play and work is definately not quite as balanced as we would like for it to be.
With this lifestyle, our dogs are forced to adopt our “less interactive” way of living as well, making them less social with an increase in complaints of nuisance / inappropriate behaviors.

Avoiding ailment, keeping your dogs happy, healthy and safe, means continuing to provide them with dog time, around other people, other friendly socially responsible dogs (and owners), including taking them out and about to different places. For any dog; small or big, doggie day care can be a great way to keep your dogs life well balanced. Every dog would love the opportunity of unrestrained dog-to-dog, muzzle to muzzle, heat to tail interaction.

What are the differences between doggie daycare at Doglando, and dogs parks?
1. All dogs must pass a temperament test at Doglando.
2. All rules at Doglando are consistently enforced and behaviors are maintained by all Doglando staff.
3. Dogs attending doggie daycare at Doglando attend daycare on a regular and consistent basis, giving them continuous exposure to other dogs, people, sounds and stimulus.
4. One of the biggest problems at the dog parks is that owners become preoccupied fulfilling their own ailment, and forget to pay attention to their dogs… thus allowing their dogs to get into trouble or start trouble.
5. Dogs attending dog parks have been typically crated or enclosed all day while their owners are at work and taking them to the dog park is an outlet for all their pent up energy. Without the enforcement of rules, boundaries and consistency amongst pet owners, this level of arousal ultimately results in fights.
6. Every person at the dog park has different rules of “acceptable” and “not acceptable” rules…. the recipe to disaster for any dog, and worse when there is a pack involved.
7. Dogs attending dog parks are left to be a role model for your dogs…. It is through these experiences your dog learns how to play but if he / she has poor role models to follow, this would not be considered adequate socialization.
8. Day care at Doglando is not just play and games through physical stimulation, but through mental stimulation as well. Dogs are constantly worked with in obedience and challenges, creating confident, well rounded, mindful dogs…. Not just flat out exhausted dogs.
9. Dogs attending daycare at Doglando are not exposed to random, unfamiliar dogs each visit. Once a dog is enrolled into the program, their owners commit to one day or as many as they want, are required to stick to that schedule as long as they continue to be part of the Doglando Family. This ensures stability, boosts confidence in not-so-confident dogs, and the “bully” type don’t have new strange dogs to bully… thus weakening that fixation.
10. Pet parents are assured every dog attending daycare at Doglando have completed the temperament assessment, are fully vaccinated, have no history with animal control due to inappropriate behavioral issues, and their dogs are in a safe totally fenced in environment with constant supervision.

Doglando’s doggy day care is truly a unique program. Those of you interested in having your dog attend daycare, should first and foremost inquire to tour. Many daycares do not allow for tours, which should raise a red flag for pet owners.

If you do have the opportunity to tour, be sure to take your list of questions to have answered, preferably by one of the daycare attendants, not the owner or manager or receptionist (unless of course they do it all).

Every dog needs an opportunity to be a dog, as they know how.... this is part of socialization.

Pit Bull Blues, by John Snipe

noreply@blogger.com (Teena Patel) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Dear Rally,

Everyday I think about you, and every day I pray we are able to find you a forever home just in time for the holidays.

In the mean time, here is a song for you and all the other Pits and Pit Mixes out there.

We promise not to hold a grudge against you Rally, and all dogs of your kind.

In Canine Welfare,

University of Doglando

Volunteer Vacation

noreply@blogger.com (Teena Patel) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:50:00 +0000

Volunteer Vacations
Many animal lovers find that visits to exotic locales can be more upsetting than enjoyable. The sight of abandoned or neglected dogs and cats can not only ruin a trip, but also will often stick with them long after they return home.

As in my own vacations to Cozumel, India, Thailand, Cambodia, and most recently Kenya, memories of injured, neglected, homeless, diseased dogs remain in the forefront of my mind.

Volunteering with an animal welfare organization is a great way to experience new places and enjoy your travels without feeling guilty. The reality of it is that we cannot do all that much, but we can do enough to help and make a difference.

Today these kinds of global opportunities are easier than ever to find. Check out the World Society for the Protection of Animals’ new database of volunteer opportunities at compassionate travel.org. For many of these volunteer programs, you don’t have to be a vet to be useful.

Last year, when Nim and I went to Thailand for our honeymoon, amongst our volunteer days, we spent one day of our trip to Chiang Mai at the Elephant Nature Park feeding, bathing, and frolicking with elephants. What beats this… wish I could have spent our entire trip doing that☺

I later learned about the Soi Dog Foundation in Phuket. I wish we would have known about this while we were there, it would have been awesome to visit with all the shelter dogs for a day.

The intrepid traveler can see a good part of the globe this way. In Indonesia, the Bali Animal Welfare Association (BAWA) is increasingly dependent upon volunteers to make a difference in the lives of the island’s estimated 500,000 stray dogs.

If Europe is more appealing, Inside/Out, a tour company that combines humanitarian projects with adventure travel, scheduled a trip to Zagoria, a region of Greece for 10 days in June to help local animal activists improve conditions for dogs.

On the Puerto Rican island of Vieques, the Vieques Human Society offers “rustic” accommodation to anyone who will commit to 30 hours of work in a course of a week.

May sound like work on your vacation, but you can ask Nim (my husband)… he will tell you it most definitely does not have to be…. You can do as much or as little or nothing at all and just be part of it while your animal lover spouse fulfills their desire… and still walk away feeling great.
This is not to say Nim did not do anything at all… he was not too fond of the idea going into it, but once there, he was into it as much as I, and its those memories that make our trip most memorable.

Vacation Responsibly

Orlando, The City's Magazine Featuring Doglando

noreply@blogger.com (Teena Patel) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

The University of Doglando's Paws Making PALS (Positive Achievments, Learning and Sharing) is talked about in Orlando's "The City's Magazine."

To see the article, go to: Wonder Dogs, or read below:

Wonder Dogs
At the University of Doglando, man and his best friend bring out the best in each other.
By Terry O. Roen

Brandon Rogers’ speech disorder makes it hard for him to talk to people. But when the 19-year-old speaks to a fluffy white dog, his words are clear.

Likewise, Christopher Baker’s autism often causes him to spin in circles. Call a dog to his side, however, and Christopher, 18, sits peacefully, as if in awe.

At Orlando’s Magnolia School for the physically and mentally disabled, man and his best friend are bringing out the best in each other.
Thank Cheryl Hite-Scherer and Teena Patel for that. Hite-Scherer teaches a class of six Magnolia students whose disabilities range from schizophrenia to epilepsy. Last fall, she was combing the Internet for teaching ideas when she came across a site for the University of Doglando. She discovered that Patel, owner of the canine care and training center, used dogs in therapy and was interested in expanding the program to help disabled and troubled youths. Patel offered to teach the Magnolia students dog-training skills, and Hite-Scherer bought two 9-week-old Samoyeds, a sociable breed good with children.

Today, the students are bused once a week to Doglando in east Orange County to learn training skills—which they practice on those Samoyeds back at Magnolia, using hand signals and simple commands of sit, stay and come.

The teacher and trainer have seen many benefits from their collaboration. The gentle Samoyeds, named Shannon and Sheamus, help soothe students (especially after seizures) and teach responsibility. Students who observe the dogs’ mistakes during training are motivated to correct their own behavioral issues. Math and science skills are sharpened by charting the Samoyeds’ growth. And daily walks improve both the animals’ and students’ fitness.

But Hite-Scherer and Patel are just getting started. Coming in January: the launch of Paws Making PALS (Positive Achievements Learning and Sharing), a nonprofit made possible by a $40,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Central Florida. PALS’s first venture will be a towel service for animal shelters and local veterinarians, with the highest-functioning Magnolia students ages 19 to 22 providing the labor. Other plans include having some of the schools’ 182 students train shelter dogs to make the animals more adoptable, while others assemble “dog baskets’’ of donated items for those who adopt pets.

The hope is that the work today will pay off in jobs tomorrow—when the students can take their skills of washing and folding towels to local hotels or use their dog-training abilities at shelters and pet stores.

Says Hite-Scherer: “We found a need in society and a place where our kids can give back and feel good about their efforts.’’
Those kids continue to amaze the 30-year teaching veteran. For instance, after a classroom guinea pig died, Hite-Scherer wondered if the students really understood the concept of death. She found out during a funeral for the creature, when a boy suddenly broke into song, putting his heart into an inspiring solo that echoed across the schoolyard and brought the school’s instructors to tears.

He was singing “Amazing Grace.’’

Dog Responsibly

Snow Party, Orlando FL

noreply@blogger.com (Teena Patel) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:54:00 +0000

Thank you to all who came to our first birthday part at the University of Doglando. We celebrated in style, with 7 tons of real snow, and a haunted dog house.

A Special thanks to my family, my Doglando family, and all our volunteers for their hard work in preparing for this event, and also running it.... for over 120 dogs and over 140 people in attendance, we just could not have asked for a better event. Things went smoothly, safe and filled with a lot of fun.

Thanks all for "Dogging Responsibly."

Enjoy photos from the Snow Party on Doglando's website, and video on Youtube.com.

Photo album I

Photo album II

For the Video: go to Doglando's youtube account.

If you have a photo of your dog playing in snow at Doglando's bash, please email it to us at Info@doglando.com.... we will upload it on to our website for everyone to see.

See you next year.

If you have a photo of your dog playing in snow at Doglando's bash, please email it to us at Info@doglando.com.... we will upload it on to our website for everyone to see.

See you next year.

Best in Show, Orlando Dog Groomer.... Monica Johnson

noreply@blogger.com (Teena Patel) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:50:00 +0000

Meet Monica today:

Hello to all pet parents! To those of you who have I have not had a chance to meet yet, my name is Monica, and I’m the groomer here at U of D! I have been in the industry for a few years now, and animals have become a huge part of my everyday, both in and out of work. In my spare time, I volunteer for a local animal rights group called ARFF [animal rights foundation of Florida]. The campaign which I’m most passionate about is the anti-puppy mill campaign, which kicks up right about this time of year, just before the holidays. So today, I’d like to share with you some information on bringing home a new furry friend for the holidays!

To start off with, for those who are not familiar, a puppy mill is a mass breeding facility that usually houses hundreds of dogs for breeding. These facilities are technically considered factory farming by the USDA, and so they have very lax regulations on conditions in which these animals are kept and maintained. The animals are kept in crates, usually outside, and are either kept multiple dogs to a kennel, or individually in a very very small kennel. With little to no human interaction, the animals are very fearful of humans, and if they make it off the mill, have a hard time fitting in to a family environment. Also lacking animal socialization, the animals become fearful or timid, anxious, and sometimes even aggressive towards other animals. The animals receive very little veterinary care, and usually suffer from chronic hereditary disease. Their food and water sources are extremely limited, and they have never heard of a treat or a toy. Both male and female dogs are bred continuously until their fertility wanes, and then the dog is either killed, abandoned, sold, or traded to another mill. Life is very dismal for these animals. Ultimately, with dogs being bred this way, the end result is hundreds thousands of dogs every year with chronic health issues, behavior issues, and a shocking number of dogs being abandoned or euthanized. Common congenital health issues from puppy mills include:

Epilepsy
Heart disease
Kidney disease
Musculoskeletal disorders ( hip displaysia, luxating patella, etc.)
Endocrine disorders (diabetes, hyperthyroidism)
Blood disorders ( anemia, Von Willebrands disease)
Deafness
Eye problems (cataracts, glaucoma, progressive retinal atrophy, etc.)
Respiratory disease

On top of that, the puppies also arrive at their new homes, or at pet stores with a variety of other health issues. Some of which can be life threatening to a pup. These include, but are not limited to:

Giardia
Parvovirus
Distemper
Upper respiratory infections
Kennel cough
Pneumonia
Mange
Fleas & Ticks
Intestinal parasites
Heartworm
Chronic diarrhea

Statistically, the holidays are the time in which people purchase new puppies the most. Not to say that buying a puppy for the holiday is wrong, but there are a few different ways to go about bringing home a new friend. Here are a few ways to avoid the mill, and bring home a healthy pup!

GO LOCAL! Check your local rescues. This is by far, my most recommended way to find your new pet. There are dozens or local rescue groups, and many are breed specific, if you have a certain type of pet in mind. Most local rescue groups even have puppies for adoption, if you’re looking for a puppy. Also check your local shelters and SPCA. Another great resource is petfinder.com. This website pools together different dogs from rescue groups in the area, and you can search for specific breeds as well.

DO YOUR RESEARCH! If you are considering going the breeder route, make sure you have found a responsible breeder. Never purchase from a breeder that will not let you visit the facility. Being able to see the animals parent’s and the environment they are raised in is crucial. Be on alert for any breeder that is unwilling to let your tour their location and meet the other animals. Be sure to check the health of all animals kept on the facility, from the parents, to the other pups, to the condition of the breeder’s personal dogs. You can never be too careful. Ask which veterinary they use, and if you can have the phone number to reference them and see if the animals have had regular medical check ups. On the flip side to that, most responsible breeders will want to meet you! A breeder who truly cares for the animals will want to interview you, and get a feel for your home environment. They want to be sure that the pet will have the best quality of life possible.

AVOID “SHOP ADOPTING”! Although that puppy in the window at the pet store may be super cute, and as smitten as you may be with it, purchasing from a pet store just puts your money right back into the pockets of the puppy mill owners. Not only that, but it also opens up another free kennel space for another puppy mill puppy to be sold to another unsuspecting customer. Even though your intentions for “rescuing” this pet store pup are in the right place, the best way to sock it to the puppy mills is to never give them your money. And if you do buy from a pet store, ensure that they show you the paper work on the dog’s origins. If they are hesitant to show you the papers, or the kennel is from out of state and mentions a broker service, the dogs are more than likely from a mill. Although most pet stores say that their animals come from breeders, make sure you ask them which breeder the dog is from, and if you can contact them. Most employees typically are unaware of where the dogs are really being transported from, so you’ll have to be proactive about finding out.

AVOID INTERNET SHOPPING! The internet has made everything so convenient these days, you can even purchase your pet online, and have it shipped to your local airport! However, behind the nice looking html, usually is an ominous reality. Most internet breeders are infact puppy mills. And these particular mills are the worst because they actually have less regulations to follow than those that sell to pet stores. Large scale breeding facilities that broker to pet stores have to be licensed and inspected by the USDA because they are considered wholesale operations. Those that sell directly to customers, ie: internet breeders, do not have to be licensed or inspected, or adhere to the Animal Welfare Act or any federal humane care standards. Not only that, but there is no way possible for you to see the condition of the animals, or meet their parents. You really have no idea what you’ll be getting, just a vague idea from the picture on the website.

These are just a few things to keep in mind while shopping around for your next family member. The most important thing is to do your homework. Know what you want from the dog, and what works for your lifestyle before getting one. Know where the animal is coming from, and get to know it’s history a bit if possible. Look at all your options, be patient, and avoid impulse purchasing a pet.

Have a fabulous holiday season! Good luck to all looking for your next little bundle of pride and joy! I look forward to meeting those of you whom I haven’t yet, and remember to always dog responsibly!

-Monica

Snow Pawty .... In Orlando, FL

noreply@blogger.com (Teena Patel) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Wonder when our winter will be here? I've got the inside scoop on this one.... it will be at Doglando in Orlando Fl, from 10 am - until however long it takes for the snow to melt.

Come join us with your puppies for a bash in real snow. We will have 5 tons of real snow, for real dogs.... really.

When: Saturday October 31, 2009 from 10 am - snow melts
Where: University of Doglando
12276 E Colonial Dr, Orlando, FL 32826
Phone: 407-574-3160

All dogs must be friendly, on leash and owners must provide proof of vaccination.

Happy Howlaween!

E how dog training tips .... Thursdays

noreply@blogger.com (Teena Patel) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Have you heard of Ehow.com? They were looking for dog trainers in Orlando, and choose us to help them conduct nine short video clips on dog training.

Check them out:

1. Anxiety remedies for dogs

2. How to train a herding puppy

3. How to train a dog to stay close to you in a field

4. How to add a dog to a pack

5. Crying puppy tips

6. How to get rid of a dog's food aggression

There are a few more on Ehow.com. This was quite a challenging task for us with several limitations. First it could not be longer that 2 minutes and every clip had to include an introduction and ending. Second we were not allowed giving away too much information... it had to be safe for people to try at home and it needed to provide just a glimpse of an idea.

Never-the-less it was fun!

"Scat Dogs" Sniff out Endangered Species Feces

noreply@blogger.com (Teena Patel) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:40:00 +0000

Conservation Dogs…. Dogs with Jobs

Over the course of the next few weeks, we will be discussing “dogs with jobs.” I bet you will amazed and surprised as to just how many jobs these special creatures have, and how vital it is to preserve our relationship with canines.

Meet Tucker, perched out on the bow of a small boat racing across Puget Sound, Tucker can catch the scent of killer whale scat from as far away as a nautical mile.
When he whiffs its salmony smell, the 60 lb lab leans hard over the bow, so hard that his owner has to hold onto him with all his might as the captain then points the boat in the direction of Tuckers’ nose.

Tucker is one of the few dogs in the world, who has been used to track whale scat on the open ocean. Scat provides scientists with a mother lode of biological information about an animal from its diet to its genetics. It can tell them if an animal is sick or affected by toxins. In scat, scientists hope to find the answers to profound questions such as why right whales have note flourished.
“Before commercial whaling nearly finished them off, an estimated 100,000 right whales plied the cold northern Atlantic. By the time a world wide hunting ban went into effect in the 1930s, only about 100 called those waters home; some 70 years later, their population still only numbers a mere 300 – 350.”

Thanks to Tucker and his colleagues, answers to these types of mysterious may some day be revealed. Ship strikes and habitat destruction are suspected, but scientist Rosalind Rolland and her husband, Wasser; of the New England Aquarium also wonders if the female whales are not conceiving.

So do you think its as easy as training your dog to differentiate the scent of scat from other animal feces? Absolutely not says Wasser, “the dog is only as good as his human team.” At first Wasser underestimated the distance at which Tucker could pick up the scent, arriving at the empty stretch of water that Tucker seemed to have indicated. Wasser assumed the scat had sunk and in fact the team did not go far out enough.

While searching in the Bay of Fundy, Puget Sound made the task tricky. The boat must move perpendicular to the with wind so that Tucker can catch a scent, but give the sound’s, many straits and gaps between islands, wind direction shifts constantly. This makes reading Tuckers’ signs more tricky and requires a very good understanding between dog and handler, and trust….. like it should be in any dog-human relationship.

Their research has begun, and although it is not completed yet, coinciding with their hypothesis, the scientists are finding a link between a severe drop in thyroid hormones indicating that whales are not getting enough to eat, thus the orcas are dying off by starvation.

Doglando Staff.... Meet Hannah

noreply@blogger.com (Teena Patel) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Greetings pet parents, Doglando Mom's and Dad,

This is Hannah the newest camp coach to join the team. I thought I would start by introducing myself and giving you a little background information about me. I graduated from the University of Florida in 2007 in business administration with a concentration in marketing. After college I worked at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University as an office manager of the athletic department. While I enjoyed the people and location, I knew I had other interests and goals that I had to start getting my hands into and that’s how I came across Doglando.

I have always had a strong passion for dogs and thought it would be a great transition to move from an office setting to the beautiful outdoors and be around my favorite furry creature. I didn’t quite know what to expect walking into this experience but I came in with a fresh mind, my ears open and my hands ready to get dirty.

It’s been a little over a month since I joined the team and I have learned so much about my group of dogs, my own dog and myself and goals for the future. I have spent the majority of my time observing the dogs and trying to figure out their personalities, what they are thinking and what there next move might be. One of the most interesting things I have noticed is that each dog enjoys spending their time at Doglando differently. Some dogs are perfectly content with just lounging in the sun all day soaking up the rays in an open spot where dogs may interrupt or may not (very few though, and sometimes it sure would be easier if they were all that way lol.... but after all it is why they come to Doglando).
Others would love to play one day, but for now are building up their courage and confidence, in the meantime they may find a low traffic low key location where they run little risk of getting trampled over. Some dogs are extremely high energy and do not relax for one moment whether they are playing with a toy or chasing and rolling around with a buddy.
Then we have the silly clown dogs that are always creating mischief. There are the ones rolling on their backs in something yucky or pouncing on another dog or unexpectedly jumping out of the pool when another dog has finally build up courage to go check it out; regardless its never the "same day" at Doglando.

What kind of dog is your dog a lounger, a hider, a constant energetic or a clown? You might be surprised how your dog acts when he doesn’t have mom or dad setting boundaries J

Delta Society Test, Animal Assisted Therapy Dogs

noreply@blogger.com (Teena Patel) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Today, I want to celebrate my Dog, Wyatt. Last week, Wyatt and I took the Pet Partners test by Delta Society test. Needless to say Wyatt is just the most superb dog with all kinds of people and children..... he did absolutely awesome and passed the test with flying colours. Once our paperwork is processed, Wyatt and I will begin visiting at the ORMC, and as time permits other facilities. I can not wait to get him started as I know he will make for a wonderful visit to all the patients he visits. The best part of all this is seeing him in action and just how happy he to meet people.

For those interested in getting their dogs evaluated for this program, check out our dog training classes in Orlando, at the University of Doglando. We would recommend you start off with the most basic (even if your dog has had previous training, unless the are reliable and have a strong foundation of the basic manners), and continue through to the BS in Dogology.

Doglando also offers the Canine Good Citizen class... call to inquire at 407-574-3160.

Below is more on the Pet Partners Program.

Pet Partners® program
Delta Society's Pet Partners program trains volunteers and screens volunteers and their pets for visiting animal programs in hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, schools and other facilities.

The Pet Partners program was established in 1990 to ensure that "both ends of the leash," people as well as animals, were well-prepared to participate in animal-assisted activity and animal-assisted therapy programs. Pet Partners is the only national registry that requires volunteer training and screening of animal-handler teams.

Delta Society's national network links volunteers with facilities in their own communities that request visiting pets and helps Pet Partners contact facilities to begin visits in new locations.

Benefits of becoming a registered Pet Partners team
· Delta Society membership and Interactions magazine,which includes a section for Pet Partners.
· $1 million primary liability insurance. Click HERE for more information.
· Identification badge for handler and collar tag for animal.
· Referral to facilities searching for Pet Partners teams.
· Exclusive offers on Pet Partners accessories.
· Opportunity to network with other Pet Partners teams.
· Access to licensed Evaluators and Instructors as local resources.
· Support from the Delta Society office.
· You will also have the satisfaction of helping people in need in your own community!

Dog Responsibly....University of Doglando

Eco Dog Tuesday - Holistic Practitioners

noreply@blogger.com (Teena Patel) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Holistic VS Allopatic

Also called alternative, integrative, natural and complementary medicine, holistic medicine takes a boarder approach to health than allopathic.

In very general and laments terms, allopathic can be considered "orthodox" or "conventional" and holistic can be considered "whole" or "natural" or "wellness" or "alternative."

Here are some distinctions between the two:
(A) treats symptoms
(H) seeks patterns and causes
(A) specialized and treats parts of the person
(H) involves the whole person
(A) pain and disease are regarded as negative
(H) pain and “dis-ease” are considered as helpful signals of internal disharmony
(A) disease is seen as a “bad” condition
(H) disease is seen as a process
(A) the body is seen as a machine in good or bad repair
(H) the body is seen as a dynamic system of body-mind-spirit and of energy fields
(A) primary intervention is with surgery, drugs, radiation
(H) minimal intervention with technologies complemented by non-invasive use of such
things as diet, nutritional supplements, exercise etc
(A) primary reliance on quantitative information – lab tests, instruments, charts, etc
(H) qualitative information, including the client’s statements and attitudes,
intuition, etc
(A) the therapist is an authority on whom the patient is dependent
(H) the client accepts self responsibility and is mainly autonomous
(A) “prevention” is seen as an annual or more often laboratory tests and examinations
(H) wholeness in relationships, work, goals, together with good nutrition, etc

When might it be a good idea to seek a Holistic Practitioner for treatment?

First and foremost it is important to recognize that no one doctor is an expert in everything.... seeking advice from multiple experts is always a better idea than just one. Even if you were going to only use holistic practitioners, it may be necessary to seek help from more than just one; as they all specialize in different forms of treatment (such as: herbal, flower essence, acupuncture, homeopathy, chiropractic, massage, nutrition, Chinese medicine etc).

Sometimes a combination of holistic care and conventional care can prove to be the most healing for your dog.
If your dog is suffering from a chronic condition, it is best to refer to a holistic practitioner.

I personally, would recommend holistic care in general, but practioners can be difficult to find.

Where can I find a Holistic Practitioner for my dog?

Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy

American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture

American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association

American Veterinary Chiropractic Association

Animal Natural Health Center

Chi Institute

Healing Oasis Wellness Center

International Veterinary Acupuncture Society

Veterinary Institute of Integrative Medicine

Pinktober, Breast Cancer Awareness

noreply@blogger.com (Teena Patel) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:00:00 +0000

This is our second year celebrating with Breast Cancer survivors, remembering those who passed away from cancer, and those who remain in the fight against cancer.

Celebrating Pinktober.... here is Hannah and Astrid with some of the Doglando Dogs. Check us out on Johnny and Jade.

In support of those in Pink..... University of Doglando.