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Saving just one dog won’t change the world...but, surely, the world will change for that one dog...
AUGUST 2015 the official speaking of dogs monthly newsletter
In this month’s newsletterDogs looking for homes ................................2 Events ...........................................................3 Ask the trainer ..............................................4 Bits & bites ....................................................5 Event recap ...................................................6 Recent adoptions ..........................................7 In memoriam ................................................8
About Speaking of DogsSpeaking of Dogs is a Toronto-based organization that launched in 2001 and is dedicated to educating and enlightening people about dogs through seminars, workshop forums, outreach and rescue. Our goal is to end cruelty, abandonment, mistreatment and homelessness of man’s best friend.
Speaking of Dogs Rescue is the operating name of Speaking of Dogs Rescue Program, a not-for-profit charitable corporation in the Province of Ontario.
Contact Speaking of Dogs1277 York Mills Road, Box 33508 Toronto, ON Canada M3A 3R5 Phone: 416-444-4190 | Fax: 416-444-7116 Email: [email protected] Web: www.speakingofdogs.com
Newletter TeamEditor: Nancy Foran Design: Cathy Vandergeest at www.gawck.ca Contributors: Nancy Foran, Lorraine Houston, Kim Gladding and Mirkka Koivusalo
NewslettersIf you no longer want to receive our newsletter, email [email protected], with “unsubscribe” written in the subject line.
Buckle Up Animal Restraint Control
Speaking of Dogs Newsletter | August 2015 | 1
BARC (Buckle Up Animal Restraint Control) is a new safety initiative of the Toronto Police Services. This program is designed to educate pet owners about the importance and need for safety restraints for pets in motor vehicles. Pet restraints not only make it safe for the pet, they also prevent them from becoming a projectile in an accident, making it safer for the occupants of the car as well.
Most people are simply not aware of the existence of pet restraints and the risks to themselves and their pet by not using them. There has been no research done in Canada, but quite a bit has been done in the United States. Please email Gael Ross at [email protected] for more information on pet restraints and the study material she has collected.
Speaking of Dogs Newsletter | August 2015 | 2
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Smokey chinese crested / terrier mix
small, young, male
Lewis labrador retriever large, senior, male
Without a doubt, a dog is a real friend. Our dogs come in all shapes and sizes, but they have one thing in common – they all need loving forever homes. Open your heart and your home to a rescue dog. You’ll be glad you did.
For complete information about the adoption process, please visit www.speakingofdogs.com/adoption-processFor more information on each dog, simply click on their name.
A fRiend in need iS A fRiend indeed
feATURed doG:
Astrid german shepherd x-large, senior, female
Coco2 toy poodle
small, adult, male
This stunning long-haired German Shepherd is Astrid, who was found as a stray in west Toronto. When she came into the shelter she was matted, had a serious ear infection, and hot spots on her body. She had not been well cared for, but sweet lady Astrid never lost hope or her good nature, and each morning she greeted shelter staff with a “woo woo” and big, wide tail wags.
When no one came to claim this beautiful girl, staff called German Shepherd rescues in the provincial directory, asking if anyone had room
for an 8–9-year-old gal with chronic ear issues, hot spots, and, by the way, was in heat! Speaking of Dogs Rescue was able to take her in as a number of dogs had recently been adopted.
Astrid is a gem! She is good with other dogs, great with people, calm and mannerly, a dream when riding in the car, and, despite her size of about 85 pounds, she does not pull on leash but walks nicely, often checking back with her handler. Please consider this amazing senior Shepherd with the soft, gentle brown eyes.
Speaking of Dogs Newsletter | August 2015 | 3
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Rockie lab / golden retriever mix
large, adult, male
Sly finnish spitz
medium, senior, male
Nina siberian husky
medium, senior, female
Sally jack russell terrier small, adult, female
Moose labrador retriever mix
large, senior, male
Chewy chihuahua
small, senior, male
Chestnut retriever / hound mix medium, adult, male
GeT YoUR ReSCUe doG CAlendAR PhoToS in!If you haven’t yet sent your favourite photo of your favourite canine companion for inclusion in the 2016 Speaking of Dogs Rescue calendar, don’t delay! We’re collecting photos until mid-August.
Ideal photos would not include people but can include a four-legged friend! Pictures should be 300 dots per inch (DPI) and at least 4 inches x 6 inches in size, and they can be colour or black and white. Please email photos to [email protected].
Speaking of Dogs Newsletter | August 2015 | 4
ask th
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WhAT iS oBedienCe in doG TRAininG?We humans expect our dogs to be obedient, but do we actually know what this term means with regard to dog training? Obedience training is a rather traditional term that often refers to obedience competitions and a more formal type of training, but it is synonymous with something called stimulus control.
Without necessarily being aware, most dog owners have practised stimulus control with their dogs in one way or another. Here is a brief explanation: Fido lies down or sits or performs whatever behaviour when we tell him to, Fido does not offer this behaviour to us when we are not asking for it, and Fido does not mix up his cues (or commands, as they are traditionally called) when we ask him to do something. Sounds pretty easy and straightforward, but is it really?
Getting an “obedient” dog, in other words a dog that responds to us when we want him to, requires training skills and an understanding of how cues work. A cue is a stimulus that elicits a response because the animal is expecting a reward for doing the behaviour. It is like a green traffic light: go now and you will get rewarded.
Dogs don’t really have any idea about human linguistics; they only learn the meaning of words by association and not by us repeating them mindlessly
and hoping that they will respond. Therefore, it is important to attach a cue to the behaviour when the behaviour is about to happen in order to make the association. In dog training we usually use verbal cues and our body language, but we often take things for granted and assume that the dog “knows” the words.
One of my favourite exercises in class is to ask people to cue their dogs to do a sit or a down while turning their backs to their dogs, spinning in a circle, etc. Guess how often the dogs get completely lost and have no idea what they are being asked to do? Yes, very often!
Simple exercises like this reveal that what has become the cue for the dog to perform the behaviour and to be obedient is something very different from what we think it is. The dog is not stupid or stubborn; he just perceives the cue differently. To get a responsive dog takes a lot of practice in generalization of cues: changing your own position and training in different places and under different distractions.
Professional dog trainers also practise the mechanics of training with other animal species, and I recently went to a four-day workshop where we practised putting behaviours under stimulus control using chickens as model organisms. The feedback from an animal who does not respond to any human emotion or gimmicks is ruthless: you have an instant mirror for your training skills.
Our task was to train a chicken to perform a particular behaviour, such as pecking a target or spinning on the spot, then add a cue to that behaviour, and then put the behaviour under stimulus by extinguishing the behaviour when it happened without the cue. What does extinguishing
a behaviour mean? In dog training language, it means Fido does not get rewarded for performing a trick when we did not ask for it.
A lightbulb moment for me was learning that cues that last a long time become more efficiently associated with a behaviour than short ones do. For example, a long presentation of a light works better than just a short flash. That is why it often takes longer for dogs to make an association with a word (which are often short in duration) and a behaviour versus a human body language cue and a behaviour. It also made me want to use a whistle as my recall cue instead of just one word, as a whistle easily lasts longer.
So for the sake of “obedience,” it is important to train the dog to understand the meaning of the cue, but in many cases it is just as important to extinguish un-cued behaviours. If Fido sits when we don’t ask him to it is not that big a deal, and in many cases behaviours like this are desirable even when un-cued. A behaviour can have multiple cues, such as “sit when I tell you to,” “sit when greeting people,” “sit when waiting for your food,” etc.
But some behaviours can be undesirable when offered un-cued. For example, if the dog randomly offers a behaviour such as demand barking or rushing through a door without a release cue and this behaviour has been accidentally reinforced, it can be dangerous. This is when extinction of un-cued behaviours is very important. We only want the dog to offer the particular behaviour when told to do so. Therefore, working on cueing and stimulus control, i.e. obedience, even in everyday situations is very important for all dog owners.
Mirkka Koivusalo, MSc, PhD, owner of Mindful Behaviors and co-owner of the Toronto Centre For Canine Education
Speaking of Dogs Newsletter | August 2015 | 5
BiTS & BiTeS
Summer was a long time coming, but the hot weather sure did come! Do you know how quickly your pet can succumb to
heatstroke? Probably much faster than you think. Read these tips for keeping pets safe and healthy in hot weather.
The Toronto Humane Society is advising pet owners to leave their furry friends at home, not in the car, and
is also offering advice on how to keep pets cool and hydrated.
And here are more useful tips for keeping your dogs safe, happy, and healthy during the summer.
Think you know how hot it can get inside a car? A Hamilton Spectator reporter took on the task of experiencing just
how hot it gets inside a car sitting in the sun on a summer’s day. Read his account here, and share it with anyone you know who leaves their dog locked in their car.
Coconut oil has many beneficial uses for people. Here is a list of the top-10 uses for dogs.
More than 60 cats have been rescued from a one-bedroom apartment in Toronto.
Video BiTS And BiTeSThese huskies have certainly mastered the “gentle” command!
When photographer Ben Moon had to say his final goodbye to his beloved dog Denali, he was inspired to create a touching tribute.
bits &
bites
Simply click on a summary to be whisked away to the internet page where you can read the full story.
ThiS monTh’S ReCAllS And AleRTS:• Stella & Chewy’s dog food
• I and Love and You Dog Treats
• Tremenda Sticks pet chews from the Natural Dog Company
• Bravo Blend chicken diet for dogs and cats
• Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Chicken formula for dogs
With the temperatures we experienced over the weekend and are expecting through the remainder of this week, we would like to remind everyone not to leave their pets in vehicles. Year after year, we all hear about leaving their dogs in hot cars, several of these stories ending in tragedy.
The OVMA reports that within minutes the temperature inside a car can reach 120 degrees!!! With the extremely warm temperatures the GTA is experiencing this week, the temperature inside a vehicle could rise even quicker. Please don’t risk your pets life, leave them at home while running errands.
http://www.ovma.org/pet_owners/pet_care/heat_off.html
With that said, please take extra precaution at home to make sure your furry friends have extra water to help keep them cool and hydrated. For more tips on how to keep your pet cool during the summer check out the ASPCA’s website:
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/hot-weather-tips
Please take the time to share this video with friends and family as a friendly reminder this summer.
https://youtu.be/iKcpEAqfHeA
Pets and HOT Summer Temperatures
Another Great Auction!The summer 2015 Speaking of Dogs Rescue Auction was a huge success thanks to our amazing auction team and generous supporters. Thank you to everyone who donated items, volunteered to organize the event, and placed bids. Without your help we would not be able to help the many dogs in our care.
Join US AT PAWS on The ShoRe!
Paws on the Shore (POTS) has chosen Speaking of Dogs as the highlighted rescue for their
August 2015 hike! All funds raised will go to help our rescue dogs.
POTS helps plant the seeds of opportunity for misunderstood dogs through socialization, stimulation,
education, and rescue advocacy. All hikes are on leash and provide a safe environment for dogs to gain experiences, exposure, and socialization. All dogs are welcome on these hikes, so please join us and help support our rescue dogs!
Date: Sunday, August 23rd Time: 11 a.m. Location: Marie Curtis Park, Etobicoke
For more information, please visit www.pawsontheshore.ca.
Thanks POTS!
WAiTinG foR WoofSToCk? iT’S CominG!Woofstock, the annual outdoor festival of all things dog, will be taking place on Saturday September 26th and Sunday September 27th at Woodbine Park in Toronto. We’ll have more details in next month’s newsletter, and you can also find out more at www.woofstock.ca.
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WAGS And WiGGleS – in The doWnWARd doG!Many thanks to Sara Ricciardella and Moksha Yoga Maple for helping raise funds for Speaking of Dogs Rescue at their very successful Dog Days of Yoga event. Thanks also to everyone who participated and to Marlo H. and Vicki B., who manned the SODR booth.
Speaking of Dogs Newsletter | August 2015 | 6
Chantal was Torchbearer #048 and enjoyed her 200 metres of fame. It was a beautiful day, so we took Champ along to cheer her on, but she was clearly not impressed by Chantal’s stardom. She much preferred chilling by the outdoor café while we grabbed a bite to eat.— Gabe Thompson
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Marley2
Mary
Kimber
HaleyGracie
Jorge
RobertMonkey
Charles
BonoBeasleyJack
Speaking of Dogs Newsletter | August 2015 | 8
Frankieloved by lynn and caroline
adopted june 2009 | passed july 16, 2015
Blueloved by cynthia mcphatter and family
forever in foster | forever in our hearts
in mem
or
iam
Smokeyloved by the gladding family
passed july 19, 2015
Loganloved by dora sesler
june 14, 2001–july 28, 2015
Mollyloved by jackie mcleod adopted 2008 | passed july 3, 2015
