Luna's Picks of the Litter - she must have it

Luna is my lady of..
1. Leisure
2. Laughs
3. Smells (both those made by her and those she likes to roll in)
4. Tastes (those she likes to nibble on as well as her refined canine style)

Don't get me wrong. Luna is in her heart of hearts a completely goofy and lovable country gal who just happens to keep one paw anchored in NYC's canine fashion...

Here's her most recent ear marks...

Luna has bins full of collars. Admittedly, I went a bit nuts in her first two years of life. There has since been a family intervention for my frivolous collar spending, but every once in a while....well, splurge. My...errr...her eye is currently set on this prize.

Paco collars are all handmade and they guarantee the hardware for life; which is important for my not so petit beefcake. You can even request that they turn the collar ininto a bracelet after your pooches passing (we won't go there). Find it at www.pacocollars.com



We love this company, Harry Barker. They have a great sense of simplicity, and are equally as style conscious as they are mother earth conscious. Check out their vintage inspired bowls. Pretty, right? They do leave our cat questioning her civil liberties, but whatever, she can use a bit of a dethroning.


Luna is a fan of sleep. Similar to me, she has two settings; 75mph and bouncing off walls or totally zonked out. Bedding is important to us two speeders.
The bed she's photographed on above was an etsy.com purchase by Bowwow Beds.
Etsy served us well again on this one! This bed is a cover only. It is made of 100% cotton duck canvas. No zipper closure, you just take your own filler and stuff it. In my case we used bed pillows, but as of late..we're thinking of switching to memory foam. Beauty is pain. So is age (hers..not mine!).

Her OTHER bed of choice..lambskin rugs. These lovies are easy on the eye in terms of interior decor and so soft and scrumptious. Like her bowwow bed cover, easily washed too (throw the entire thing in the machine).


Slobber
xoxo
Me & Lu

Dog Walker of the Moment: Kelly Fox

Where do we start? She's the formerly cruise ship sequined, singing, cupcake making, cartoon drawing, writer, actress, dog walking extraordinaire. Oops, left out athlete; Kelly's training to run the NY marathon too.

She's the jack of all trades, multi faceted dog walker. Her parents argue genius, but it could just be dog crazy. Either way, it works for her clients that absolutely rely on her talent with and care for their dogs; and often sing her praises. Kelly has mastered the basics of obedience with her clients, and thus far the only place she's fallen short...getting the pups to practice a 16 bar cut with her (huh!?).

Kelly is so inpsired by her pooch posse that she is currently writing and illustrating a children's book about Ella, a NY Walk & Train client.

Check out Kelly's website at www.kellyjfox.com.
And if you were looking to sponsor a dog loving actor, singer, writer, artist, cupcake maker, possibly genius, but maybe just dog crazy runner for the NY marathon...please bark up! We ain't too proud to beg!
Woof! Woof!

See an interview with Colleen on Dogtipper.com

Colleen talks about the start of NY Walk & Train and Far Fetched Acres, how to choose a boarding facility that's right for your dog and her newly launched radio show!

Click the link below to see the interview:
http://www.dogtipper.com/blog/2010/03/colleen-safford.html

Colleen Safford is the host of The Family Pet on Pet Life Radio

As mother to a menagerie of both the furry and furless kind, Colleen sheds light on how to create a safe and harmonious household for each of your family members.

Colleen and a panel of guest experts will discuss appropriate family pet selection, keeping pets and children safe, child-pet management systems, and child-friendly training tips, introducing your new baby to the fur baby and more.

Come! Sit! Stay tuned to The Family Pet on Pet Life Radio!
www.petliferadio.com

The telling tail. A wagging tail is not always a sign of a happy dog! Learn a tail or two!

The tail is only one of many communicators on your dog's body. As a trainer, I often hear, "BUT his tail was wagging...when he bit me!"

That is the trick of the tail! Somehow we silly humans have come to believe that a tail wag is THE sign of a happy dog.
Because we've bred our dogs to be very social, most tails you encounter will indeed be happy, but along the way, you will see some that are nervous, and others that are ready for a throw down (watch out!).

Here's how to read that tail of the moment:

Happy Tail: This coffee table's nightmare is accompanied by a loose, relaxed dog. Similar to a rubber band or cooked spaghetti, the body is wigglin' and movin'. The tail can be high or level with the plane of the back and very widely and loosely wagging back and forth.
This tail is welcoming a greeting from you! Go for it! "HELLO DOG! I'm Dog Lover! NICE to meet you!"




Nervous Tail/Unsure Tail: Is carried below the plane of the back and maybe even tucked between the legs. Only the tip, if anything, is moving. This pup is slinking along either toward you or away. This dog is still likely social, just not sure what to quite make of you. Be gentle, go slow and be calmly reassuring. Let the pup approach you.
"Hey there Fella, it's OK. I'm Dog Lover. Aww..good boy."

This is an unsure greeting ---->
A hunkered down body and obvious lifted paw.


Aroused/Aggressive Tail: Is high over the plane of back. It is tightly waving, just at the tip, erratically. It is accompanied by a stiff dog, who's body appears "frozen still."
"Alrighty then Fido, let me give you a WIDE berth. I'm Dog Lover & I'm outta here."
This is not a friendly greeting ----->
Notice the blur in the phot0..just at the tip of the tail. Tight wagging.


We should all know how to speak dog effectively. Increasing our ability to understand what dogs are telling us, keeps both us and them safe!

Be sure to pass on this information. Tell your tale of being fluent in dog tail!
Warm-wiggly wags to you!

album 03\09\2010 (48 photos), by Colleen Safford

I'd like to share my Snapfish photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.
Click here to view photos

Teaching Fetch! Even our Retriever friends can use help perfecting this one.

Fetch is a great form of both mental and physical exercise. Structured properly fetch is a wonderful way to practice impulse control and consistent obedience. Structured inappropriately and fetch can turn into a game of keep away and chase me (neither of which should be promoted with your dog)! Here's how to keep your fetch fantastic!

Supplies:
1. Two balls (or two of the same objects)
2. Long line or flexi- leash (this is one of the only times I think about using a flexi; never for walking in the city!)
3. Plan to practice in 5-15 minutes sessions to begin.

Getting Started:
1. Attach your dog to a long line or flexi leash. This will prohibit your dog from grabbing the ball and dashing off away from you. It will also keep him closer and more attentive to you making for a more efficient training sessions.
2. Take out and show your dog one ball. If necessary, wave the ball around a bit to excite your dog (skip this if your dog is a ball nut!).
3. Cue your dog to "sit."
4. As soon as your dog sits, say, "yes!" and toss the ball 4-5 ft from you. By keeping the distance short , you are able to practice a high number of reps in a shorter timeframe thereby teaching this behavior more efficiently.
5. When your dog collects the ball, calmly praise him, turn your body sideways, slap your thighs and move away a little bit. Encourage your dog to follow/come back to you.
**Turning sideways and moving away has proven to encourage dogs to come, so this is important!
6. As your dog is coming back to you get your second ball out, but keep it from view his to begin. If your dog does not drop the first ball upon returning, present the second ball. Your dog will release ball one for ball two!
7. As soon as your dog releases the ball from his mouth, say "yes" and toss the ball in your hand 4-5 ft from you.
8. As your dog is running after that ball, pick up the first (dropped ball).
9. Repeat steps 5-8 again and again!

Getting rid of the second ball:
1. After a few sessions, instead of presenting the second ball to elicit your dog to drop the first ball, just wait your dog out. When your dog comes back to you with ball in mouth, just stand there and look at or away from your dog. Don’t talk, just wait! It might take a few seconds or longer. WAIT!
2. When he/she drops the ball, immediately say "yes" and throw the second ball (that was out of view). You are now teaching your dog that by dropping the ball he earns the presentation and toss of the second ball. His actions (dropping the ball) have good consequences (another opportunity to chase the ball!)
3. After a few sessions and once your dog is reliably, coming back and automatically dropping the ball upon return, you can stop using the second ball.

Advancing your fetch skills:
1. Begin to increase the distance that you are throwing the ball.
2. Remove the leash only once you know that your dog will safely return to you.
3. Begin adding obedience commands in between each repetition. Cuing your dog to sit after releasing the ball and before tossing it again. Your dog is now earning and being rewarded with each and every toss.
4. Work up to sit-stays and releasing your dog to chase the ball.



Good luck! Have fun!