Adopt a Senior Dog Month - What age is right for you?

There are so many dogs up for adoption out there, but the question is, are there benefits to adopting a puppy compared to an adult dog, and vice versa? In honor of Adopt a Senior Dog Month this November, we are looking at the pros and cons of adopting a puppy and an adult dog.

Puppy

 

Socialization window: If you get a puppy younger than 18 weeks, you will be getting a dog who is in their prime socialization window. This is the most impressionable time for your dog, which can be great for training and learning about the outside world. It also means that socializing them in every way possible during this time is extremely important. It will help reduce the fears that your dog could have later in life.

A lot of work: A puppy can be tons of work, from housetraining and working on chewing issues to obedience training. A puppy isn’t always easy, so make sure you have plenty of time to devote to your new dog.

Size isn’t always predictable: If you adopt a mixed breed puppy, you truly have no idea how big or little the dog might be as an adult. Keep in mind that adopting a small puppy doesn’t guarantee a small adult dog.

Adult

 

You know what you are getting: If you are adopting an adult dog, chances are you will know a lot about what you are getting, especially if you have a back story on the dog. It’s also good to keep in mind that the way your dog behaved at the shelter isn’t necessarily how your dog will behave when it gets comfortable in your home.

Behaviors can be harder to get rid of: With older dogs, you have to adjust your training and treatment options. Training habits out of adult dogs can absolutely be possible, but sometimes you need to adjust the solution to the problem from how you would train a young, impressionable puppy.

Adult dogs can tend to be a lot calmer: They often like to lounge around a lot more, but don’t mistake this as meaning they don’t need exercise. Yes, adult and senior dogs might not be as active as puppies, but they still need a decent amount of exercise and a lack of it can cause them to go a little stir crazy.

In honor of Adopt a Senior Dog Month, we are featuring a senior adoptable dog from the Randolph Animal Pound. Eight-year-old Indiana might be a senior dog, but she has energy to spare! She loves going on long walks and is outstanding on a leash. She would make a perfect addition to any home, and loves other dogs. We are so looking forward to visiting with Indiana and her new family that with her adoption, Indiana will be automatically signed up for FREE two month training membership at Morris K9 Campus! If you are interested in meeting Indiana, you can find out more information about her here. 

Are You Prepared if Your Dog Suffers from Hearing Loss?

This week is Deaf Dog Awareness Week. As dogs start getting older, signs of their age tend to begin to show. One thing that a lot of dogs will face in their lifetime is a loss of hearing.  Most owners who have hearing dogs don’t fully realize that a good amount of their dogs will have hearing loss at some point in their lifetime. It’s best to prepare yourself and your dog in case anything were to happen to your dogs hearing.

Practice Hand Signals with your Pup

As your dog gets older it is best to start incorporating basic hand signals for common commands. Sit, down and come would be good commands to have hand signals for. As your dog begins to age, adding a hand signal in addition to the words would assure that if your dogs hearing did start to go, you would still have basic commands to use.

Have Patience

It can sometimes be difficult to realize your dogs hearing is going until it is almost gone, but remember to have patience with your pooch. You undoubtedly will have to teach your dog some new things in order to get their attention, for example since a recall is such a verbal command, a flashlight can be used during a recall with a deaf dog. Don’t lose your cool if you get frustrated easily; remember that your dog is going through a huge change as well.

Always Make your Presence Known

Your pooch will no longer be able to hear you when you enter the room, so it is important to make your presence known so you don’t startle them. A tap on their back or flicking on and off the light switch is a great way to let your dog know you have entered the room.

Reward your Dog with Food and Physical Affection

Since deaf dogs can’t hear you, it’s important to reward them with food and physical affection. When learning their new commands use food instead of verbal praise, this way your dog is actually being rewarded for what they are doing. As you continue through your training a nice belly rub or a rub behind the ears will do nicely for your pooch.

For dogs that live long lives, deafness can be inevitable for some of them. If you are prepared for it to happen, it can make the transition easier for you and your pooch. Be patient with your dog and remember that there are so many great resources out there if your dog is deaf, a trainer will be able to customize your training for your deaf dog. There are also many great internet sites and support groups, like DeafDogsRock.com, which is a great community of owners with deaf dogs, that provides great information about living with a deaf dog.

 

INSURANCE FOR FIDO?

September is national Pet Insurance Month! In light of that, here are your options as a pet owner.

If you're reading this, then your dog or cat is probably a beloved member of your family and you want the best for them so you might have considered providing your pet with high quality healthcare throughout his or her life. Since we can't buy pet health insurance for our dog or cat when we really need it most, in an emergency, now is the time to examine the options to see if it can save us hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

YOUR OPTIONS
There are more and more pet health insurance options available to consumers each day. And like human health insurance, pet insurance coverage can vary widely. Classic pet health insurance is said to cover expensive, unplanned events. There are monthly premiums and a variety of deductible choices, different coverage levels, co-pays and caps that limit the total yearly or lifelong payouts. These policies may exclude older dogs, certain breeds, genetic conditions and pre-existing conditions. In addition, there are often discounts for covering multiple pets from the same household.

Basic types of pet health insurance include:
• Wellness (preventative services like vaccines, check-ups, blood tests at set fee)

• Prescription drug

• Cancer treatment

• Alternative therapies

• Accidental death.

There is also a wide range of variations on these basic coverage types. From dental care and catastrophic care to acupuncture and lost pet recovery, pet health insurance options are out there for the taking. Of course, the costs for these plans vary significantly.

Veterinarian Tim Banker believes that although pet healthcare can effectively mitigate high-tech veterinary expenses, it is underutilized. One possible reason is the persistence of stories about insurance companies that fail to provide expected coverage. The minutia of paperwork involved in properly filing claims can result in missing payments. The good news is that vet offices are becoming more adept at properly filing these claims on their clients' behalf.

Here are recommendations for finding the right care for your pet:

1. Consider your pet's health, age, predisposition to accidents and risk of inherited diseases to help determine what level of coverage you need.

2. Get price quotes from each company that appears to offer the coverage your pet requires. Here are a few companies to consider: AKC Pet Healthcare Plan, ASPCA Pet Health Insurance, Embrace Pet Insurance, Pet Assure Corporation, PetFirst Healthcare, PetHealth, Inc., Petplan USA, Pets Best Insurance, PurinaCare, Trupanion Pet Insurance,Veterinary Pet Insurance.

3. Ask your veterinarian which pet health insurance s/he recommends.

4. If your dog is diagnosed with a condition, make sure to renew coverage on time each year so it isn't excluded as a pre-existing condition.

With some careful pet health insurance research and planning, you and your pet can decide on the right choice.

IN THEIR FINEST HOUR: THE GOLDEN YEARS OF THE 9/11 SEARCH AND RESCUE DOGS



Literarydog.com

As we approach the ten year anniversary of the infamous day that will be forever imprinted in the hearts and minds of the American public, it is the perfect time to shed light on the heroic search and rescue dogs that arrived on the scene at the Pentagon and The World Trade Center seeking survivors. Photographer Charlotte Dumas has made that possible through a photographic body of work that commemorates the brave efforts of these valiant canines. Retrieved is the name of her beautiful and poignant collection of portraits that pays homage to the heroes and heroines of that day that walked on four feet.

Seeking the last remaining 12 of the search and rescue dogs (most have passed away) that worked tirelessly to find survivors after the attacks, the title of Dumas's work could not be more appropriate. Dumas scoured the U.S for the 9/11 search and rescue dogs just as the dogs themselves searched for human life amongst the rubble ten years ago. As Dumas says of the title, "I found the dogs, I retrieved them, they were there to retrieve the victims, it is nicely rounded."

Literarydog.com

Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers and a few German Shepherds are the breeds that grace the glossy pages of this work as they are particularly well know for their retrieval skills and trainability. Though not as fast, graceful, or strong as they used to be, the portraits of the remaining grey muzzled canine saviors depicts a series of wise and compassionate close-ups. It is their eyes that tell the story, a story of pain and sadness but inevitably one of hope and fortitude. We learn of the unwavering energy of both human and animal alike from Merlyn, a black lab, and his handler Matt Clausen that worked the night shift for 5 nights. We learn of the comfort these gentle creatures were capable of bestowing upon exhausted first responders from Bretagne, a Golden Retriever who kept a fatigued fireman company when he stopped to catch his breath. We discover the strength of dogs and handlers alike as many of them went on to play a pivotal role in the search and rescue efforts after Hurricane Katrina. And most importantly, we recognize the spirit of both species and their ability to find the silver lining no matter the atrocity.

Though the attacks happened a decade ago, for many the pain still smarts like it was yesterday. However, as Dumas says, "These portraits are about how time passes, and how these dogs and their portraits offer us a way to deal with the things that happened as well as relying on them for comfort." Her photographs are on display at the Julie Saul Gallery in New York City.

Sources: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/ushome/index.html