Doga Anyone?

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Out-U-Go! & Boulder’s Natural Animal are once again teaming up to host Boulder’s next awesome outdoor charity event!  Our last event, the Pampered Pooch Spaw Day for Charity, was such a huge success (we raised over $1200!) that we’ve already begun organizing Doga for Charity!  Stay tuned to our Facebook page for the exact date and time, but this awesomely fun and hilarious event will take place this summer outside Boulder’s Natural Animal hospital.

All funds raised will be donated to the Humane Society of Boulder Valley.

Plan on a day of fun in the sun, canine massage, food and drinks and…. DOGA!

Any pup can participate, no matter how long they are able (or not able) to stay in one place 🙂

The team at Out-U-Go! and Boulder’s Natural Animal are looking forward to keeping everyone posted as more details develop, but based on the level of success we had with the Pampered Pooch Spaw Day, we think you’re in for a treat!!!!

When Carly met Olive…

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Miss Olive as a puppy!

It was my 28th birthday and I had a case of the blues.  For some reason, 28 sounded much older and much scarier than 27 (perhaps because  28 was much closer to the dreaded 30!) So,  I took the day off work and my mom came down to the city to meet me for lunch and take me on a mini ” birthday spree”.  I knew my blues would lift quickly with a little shopping and mom time.

There are two routes to Michigan Ave from my house.  I thought we should take the Grand Ave route but my mom insisted taking Randolph was much quicker.  It was a simple debate and in the end I won because it was my birthday. 🙂   And this begins the tail of when Carly met Olive…

We walked, we talked and we laughed down Grand Ave enjoying the amazing sunshine beating down on our face.  In the distance, I spotted a cute lil’ pup walking towards us.  This pup had something so sweet about her and I, of course, stopped the owner as she came closer to me (I have a problem where I feel the need stop every dog to say hello).  “What kind of dog is she?” I asked as I gave her kisses.  The woman replied that she was unsure what kind of dog she was as she was fostering  her for a week.  “She needs a loving home and she loves to watch tv,” said the woman chuckling. At this point, I began to feel a sensation inside of me that this might be fate.  Could this sweet lil’ pup (named Stacey at the time) be my new little angel?  It felt so right and it seemed like a twist of fate that I happened to take the day off of work, fought to take that specific route and met her on my birthday.  But, I knew I had to think this through and sleep on it.

So, I took the ladies name, said goodbye to Stacey and went on my way.  For the next couple of days, I could not get this lil’ pup off my mind.  This had to be fate.   So, I made a call, filled out some paperwork, had an interview, and within days I was on my way to pick up my new pup, who I named Olive.

I have now had Ms. Olive Stein for over 2 years and to say she has been an easy pup would simply not be true.  Olive’s history  was that she had been picked up in Texas as a stray and sent to a shelter when she was only a baby.  From that point, a rescue group in Texas saved her,  put her in a animal sanctuary and then Arf House (a shelter in Chicago) shuttled Olive and her sisters & brothers 17 hours back to Chicago to be adopted.  (Arf House is a wonderful organization and are such nice people to work with, btw!)

Even though Olive has been a lot of hard work and a much bigger challenge than I had anticipated, I love my little girl to pieces.  She is as sweet as they come and truly brings so much joy to my life.  Olive loves coming to work with my every day at Out-U-Go! and her favorite part of the day is when the walkers check in and out because she loves to greet each and every one of them with kisses.  Olive and I are so lucky that our paths truly crossed and I do believe it was twist of fate.  And, as I am about to turn 30, it doesn’t feel so scary anymore. 🙂

Carly and Olive

A Local Shout-Out: Harrison Memorial Animal Hospital

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I’ve recently gotten in touch with several veterinary clinics in and around the Denver area and we wanted to give a special shout-out to Harrison Memorial Animal Hospital.

Now there are a TON of great vets out there but as we all know, a sick pup or kitty can often be a bit of a strain on the wallet. Unfortunately, for some people out there, a vet visit just might not be in the cards for financial reasons and that’s where Harrison Memorial steps in. Their goal is to “provide quality, comprehensive, and compassionate […] care for the economically disadvantaged.” They want to make sure that all of our furry friends out there at least have the option to receive care. The clinic is also a huge advocate of spaying and neutering in order to lower animal over-population in our country.

In a few weeks, Harrison Memorial will be holding their annual fundraiser gala Mutts and Models! This year’s theme is “Breakfast at Sniffany’s!” What could be more fun than a Canine and Celebrity Fashion Show?! Pups and models alike will be strutting their stuff up there all to benefit underprivileged pets. The fun begins at 7:30pm on Saturday, May 21st, 2011. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit: http://cvmf.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=98. We hope you’ll make it!!

Do you believe in ghosts?

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Josey

Ask someone this simple question and you’ll likely receive a complicated answer: Do you believe in ghosts?

You might hear “well I don’t know but I had this friend…” or “you certainly have to keep an open mind” or “we humans really understand so little about the universe” or “I grew up watching Ghostbusters so…”

At least you’d hear that from me.  I think if there were spirits and echoes and djin floating through time and between realms and amongst us all the time, they wouldn’t much care whether or not I believed in them. Although maybe spooks and spirits are just like Peter Pan or Santa Clause or Polar Bears in that our very belief in them keeps them flying. Pugs and Bulldogs are kinda like that too – just a decade of human indifference (i.e. no more caesarean born puppies) and they’d pretty well just disappear. Still, I gain nothing by declaring that I think it’s all pathetic simple-minded hogwash, which is how I would declare it if I ever had an experience that led me to reject the possibility of the impossible.  I don’t know what such an experience could be, and I’m not sure I want to. Besides, it’s more fun to talk about the opposite kind of experience. An “encounter” if you will.

Oak Park is an old town with a lot of history.  I walk dogs around a couple of big cemeteries that are full of almost two centuries worth of the former forms that carried lives, loves, passions, dreams, and even whole worlds.  I walk with Sally by a castle of a house, complete with gargoyles and turrets, which has a plaque out front stating, “On This Site in 1887–Nothing Happened”.  Oh, but what about in 1886, when a runaway horse cart killed a child and set off generations of feuding and tore the town in two?  Or 1973, when at a celebration for the end of Prohibition, a young couple snuck off for a kiss (not noticing the plaque or anything else) , a kiss that would lead to a home full of children who will themselves travel the world and pull with them a cosmic spider’s silk forever connected to that spot?  Or in 1354 BC, when a man with a spear killed a really big bear all by himself and was just so happy that his dancing created a metaphysical sinkhole on precisely that spot?  I dunno.  The point is, Oak Park is as psychically-charged as anywhere, except maybe that hotel in ‘The Shining’.

People might tell you all of that.  But if you ask the dogs I walk if they believe in ghosts, they’d say “arf”, meaning, “heck yeah man I seen ’em”.  It’s widely reported that dogs can predict earthquakes, detect cancers, find their way to loved ones across thousands of miles, and look cute all the while.  Cats get all the credit for being ethereal (or just plain spooky–look up Oscar the Grim Reaper), but dogs have mystical goods too, and in my opinion, are way less up-tight about it.  Do all animals have these gifts?  Do we humans have them too? Lost and forgotten in the clutter of our own modern minds?  Has intelligence replaced intuition?  Are dogs in possession of or possessed by their preternatural abilities? Is this a cause, or an effect, of their sleeping 18 hours a day?

Now I’ll grant that Josey is a little unique to begin with. I won’t go into the details, but one of her more singular idiosyncrasies is the urge to constantly look over her shoulder as we walk, as if we’re being followed.  Sometimes, exasperated after towing her for several blocks without her even looking where we’re going (look a fire hydrant! hey some mud! for goodness sake your missing everything and it’s for your sake we’re doing this, come on!) I’ll indulge her in a little break so that she can sit and have a good long look behind us and finally satisfy herself that there is nothing back there. She’ll stare, then look at me, then back again, then be ready to go, only to peer back again after a few steps. Now maybe there’s a speck in her cornea which makes her see spots.  Maybe the bright light dazzles her after hours in a dark house.  Maybe Josey is just being weird, true to her m.o. Or maybe, all the while, she is staring dead into the dead black eyes of a mailman who is floating behind us; eyes that shimmer with eternal malice for all dogs, ever since he died of a rabid bite over 80 years ago.  He cannot avenge himself physically, which is why he follows us and makes me haul poor Josey around.  I’m sorry already.

But it gets weirder.  To be continued………

 

 

Mattie’s Poop

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Mattie the Boxer

Mattie is a gorgeous little reddish Boxer who walks like no other dog.  She hardly sniffs a thing, and only wants to go forward, fast, and now.  She could not attract more admiring attention if she were a fine colorful Victorian lady gliding down the street under a parasol, and like such a lady, she is most particular about where she evacuates.  It is important that Mattie goes because if she comes home still loaded, she has to be crated instead of free run of the home.  Even if it takes extra-long and we have to walk all the way to Indiana, I am resolved to not be satisfied until she is.

This is why it’s always very exciting when the great moment arrives.  You can tell it’s impending when she lowers her head to actually consider the ground as we walk.  Then as we approach the drop zone, she begins to swing her body back and forth in ever-tighter turns, just like a fish swimming up stream, if that fish were also a belly dancer playing hopscotch.  I stand back and enjoy the show, trying not to laugh (any disturbance could be fatal to the endeavor) as her turns get tighter and tighter and quicker and quicker until she is not actually moving around but rather just flailing like a possessed and very negative head-banging rock star.  Then comes the squat, which is more like a self-defense pose than anything, and then Mattie sheds about a quarter of her body weight.  But that’s not the best part.  The apex of this little ritual, the part that had me laughing like a mad man in the street the first time I saw it, is what she does with her legs. After all that twisting and dancing, all that kinetic energy needs somewhere to go, and so it shoots through her legs and discharges into the earth like lighting, as her hind legs thump up and down like the happiest of cartoon rabbits.  Then, lighter and leaner, she’s off again.

I feel privileged to witness this.  It’s what zoo keepers must feel like when baby Pandas are born.  Mattie’s creation is oh-so-much less cute than a baby Panda, but nonetheless receives prompt attention.  And this is the real advantage of having what is by now a preternatural ability to tell when a dog is getting ready to do his duty.  Before the pooch can begin kicking up earth, I have their rejected kibble bagged, tied and ready to toss. Dogs can somehow predict earthquakes, but I too can spot the tiniest shift indicating impending seismic movement in the seismometers themselves.  The 4th lumbar vertebra lifts about a half millimeter, the sniffing becomes 4-12% more assiduous, the path straightens out and The Poop Walk begins.  By this time, I’ve already got a bag open and ready.  A pair of figure skaters could not pick up each other’s poop with more speed and grace.

But there is a darker side to this ability?  The fact that I’m so proud of it is itself quite worrying.  Is the price I pay for my new talent…my sanity?   Could laughing like a madman as Mattie does her poop dance mean that I’m actually a madman? Is it wrong to be so emotionally invested in a dog’s baser functions?  There are little alarm bells in my head that chime even as I strut down the street chirping “Good Mattie!  Such a good little pooper!  And such a nice big poop!”  I’m afraid I’m over the hill.  Or the mound, as it were.  But I am a professional dammit, and no one can convince me that Mattie is not a good girl.  Dogs have such little responsibility, you can’t deny them their little glories.  I won’t be the parent that reproaches his 3rd grader for messing up his lines in the school play.  Yes it’s poop, and yes I’m losing it, but way to go Mattie.  I’m proud of you.

 

Pit Bulls: Fact vs. Fiction

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Below we have compiled some awesome facts and incredible myths about our “bully” friends. Unfortunately there is an overabundance of pit bull type dogs in America’s shelters in large part due to the widespread myths and misundertanding surrounding these dogs.

 

Myth #1: “Pit Bull” is a breed

Fact: Pit Bull is NOT a breed. It’s a generic term often used to describe all dogs with similar traits and characteristics known to the public as “pit bulls”. When we use the term “pit bull” here it should be understood to encompass American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, and Staffordshire Bull Terriers. Take this test and see how well you are able to pick the “pitbull”: http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html

Myth #2: Pit Bulls are mean and vicious

Fact: No more vicious than Golden Retrievers, Beagles or other popular dogs! According to a recent study of 122 dog breeds by the American Temperment Testing Society (ATTS) pit bulls achieved a passing rate of 83.9%. That’s as good or better than Beagles (78.2%) and Golden Retreivers (83.2%). http://www.atts.org/stats1.html

Myth #3: Pit Bulls have “locking jaws”

Fact: Studies show that the jaw of the pit bull is in proportion to its size and is no different than any other breed of dog. There is no evidence that any kind of locking mechanism exists in the American Pit Bull Terrier.

Myth #4: Pit Bulls turn on their owners

Dogs, as a species, do not perform behaviors “just because”. There are always reasons for behavior, and when aggression becomes a problem the reasons can be such things as improper handling, lack of socialization or training, a misreading of dog behavior by the owner, or, rarely, disease. Aggression, when it presents in pet dogs, follows specific patterns. First occur warning signs, then more warning signs, and finally, when those signs are continually ignored or misinterpreted, the dog resorts to using its teeth. When an
owner is startled by a sudden, aggressive outburst, it is because they have been unaware of problems that were brewing. This is true of all dogs, not just Pit Bulls. Pit Bulls, indeed no dogs, “turn” on their owners.

Myth #5: The only thing Pit Bulls are good for is fighting

Unfortunately, a large amount of attention has been brought to the fact that the Pit Bull was originally created for fighting other dogs in the pit. Since the breed was selectively bred for and excelled at this task, there is a common assumption that fighting must be all for which the breed is good. The truth of the matter is that the Pit Bull is one of the most versatile of canines, capable of excelling at just about any task his owner asks him to complete. They are routinely used for: obedience trialing, conformation showing, weight pull, Schutzhund (a German sport which requires dogs to perform in obedience, tracking and protection phases of a competition), agility, and have even been known to participate in herding trials, search and rescue work, and a variety of other tasks including police and armed services work. But fanciers will argue that the task this breed performs best of all is that of beloved companion. http://network.bestfriends.org/9261/news.aspx

Berkeley at work as a certified therapy dog!

Out-U-Go! is fortunate to have many loving Pit Bulls in our pack. As a matter of fact, I am the proud parent of a Pit Bull named Berkeley Moon who became a certified therapy dog in 2008. Berkeley currently visits Naperville area schools to assist students with their reading.

For more information please take a look at the following sources and organizations, and hug-a-bull today!

www.bestfriends.org

www.pbrc.net

www.badrap.org

www.chicagolandbullybreedrescue.org

Ill Communication

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We are often left to ponder why our dogs behave badly without taking a look at ourselves and how we’re communicating with our pups.  Superior and effective communication is the key to all good relationships.  Communication between you and your dog is even more important because we speak completely different languages.  In the human world, it seems that most behavior is somewhere between good and bad…in the grey area, if you will.  In a dog’s world, however, there really is no grey area; it’s either good or bad.

Our pups have trouble understanding shades of grey when it comes to situations and our expectations.  In order to achieve clarity when you communicate with your dog, you must eliminate grey areas in your training.

Humans typically approach things situationally, e.g., my dog can jump on me when I come home as long as I am not in my nice work clothes, or my dog can come up with me in the bed as soon as my partner leaves, but never while he or she is home.  Our reactions are dependent on the situation.

Dogs, on the other hand, are unable to use reasoning skills.  They are unable to understand the slight nuances that we as humans take for granted.  Conflict arises when a dog doesn’t understand how its behavior elicits such different responses.  Conflict can often create negative, unwanted, and sometimes even aggressive behavior.  It can even create some neurotic behaviors like spinning in circles or tail-chasing.  This is because the animal is confused and doesn’t understand that their behavior will elicit reward or punishment, so they are desperately trying to find a coping skill to help them feel better.

We must achieve maximum clarity and effective communication with our dogs.  We must convey the meaning and our intentions exactly and our dogs must be able to accurately predict which behaviors we want and which we don’t want.  So, how do we do this?

Mark Both Good and Bad Behaviors

We must mark the behavior we want the moment that it happens with a verbal cue.  A well timed “Good!” or “Yes!” or the clicker followed up with a treat says to your dog “THAT’S WHAT I WANT!”  You must be consistent and mark and reward the behavior immediately when the dog shows it.  This will ensure continuation of the behavior and, in time, understanding.

It is also helpful if we mark the behaviors we don’t want with a verbal cue, something like “Ah ah!” or simply “No”, to communicate to our dog where they went wrong.  Overly physical correction is not warranted; in fact, your hands never need to touch the dog.  Simply withhold the reward.  Your dog will realize when they hear the negative verbal cue that the specific behavior is wrong and they do not need to show it again if they want to be rewarded.

You must be consistent!  Teach your pup that there is only one path to a reward.  This allows your dog to have a clear mind and not waste their energy trying to cope with the unknown.  We must teach them through consistency and clear communication how to learn.  This clarity allows them to be successful and will lead not only to better obedience, but also a much stronger bond with us—and that’s really what dog ownership is all about!

 

Poop

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We shall not name this poo's maker

In a way, dog walkers are like miners – we take substances which are locked up deep inside some cave and remove it to a more agreeable location.  We are also like stock brokers – we seek the most auspicious situation from which to profit from anticipated developments.  Also we are like outfielders – the moment some bolus hits the grass, we try to snatch it up and throw it out. Substances, developments, bolus – all fancy words for poop.

Dogs will always pee on things.  A dry dog in a dessert will still lift his leg at a cactus, even if he doesn’t have a drop to spare.  Some dogs create great lakes in their living rooms on a regular basis (I’m calling you out, Dudley) while others would never dream of committing so heinous an impropriety.  Some dogs mark every tree as if they were straddling a spray can, while others go only once, and only when there’s no one around. It’s really quite intricate, but even so, #1 is only half as vexing as #2.

I always feel a little bad if a walk is not fruitful, so to speak.  It’s a little embarrassing to have to write “1 only” under the “I was a good dog and went number” line on the Doggie Diary.  Of course, I can’t make a dog poop, even if I have at times wondered if there isn’t some kung-fu move that I could deploy that would (harmlessly) hit some pressure points to align the dogs chi, and thus his bowels.  Some dogs observe a regular daily schedule that is simply out of sync with my own walking schedule.  Other dogs get too busy smelling things, or staring at squirrels, or skipping around like caffeinated crickets.  Some dogs get blocked up with diets of stuffed animals and socks, while others require a crossword and a quite corner of their own back yard.  I do what I can to encourage their every success, but ultimately, it’s a battle they each must fight alone.

And what a fight it is sometimes. To be continued……

 

 

 

Poop Bag Drive!

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Do you have extra plastic bags around the house? Don’t throw them away, we’ll take them!

Out-U-Go! Pet Sitters will be collecting plastic bags April 21 & April 22 (Earth Day) to Reuse (for poop pick-up, yes, lovely poop)!

Just leave them by your Report Card or Diary and we’ll put them to good use!

If you don’t have a visit scheduled either of those days but still want to participate, please email your Top Dog to schedule a pick up. Or just leave them for us with a note when you do have a visit scheduled.

 

Spring for the Animals Luncheon – May 1

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The Oak Park community is so fortunate to have the Animal Care League. To keep this fabulous organization up and running the ACL holds an annual luncheon. This year it will be held at the beautiful Oak Park Country Club, 2001 North Thatcher Avenue in River Grove.

Entertainment will be provided by the Festival Theatre of Oak Park.

Adoptable ACL cats and dogs, a silent and live auction, gift bags, and of course the sumptuous buffet will all be going on!

100% of all monies collected for the luncheon directly benefit the ACL. If you would like to buy some 50/50 raffle tickets, purchase a ticket to the luncheon, or donate an auction item, please contact the ACL at 708-848-8155.

On an Out-U-Go! note, Maverick, Oak Park’s Top Dog Dog was adopted from the ACL on April 16, 2008. Sara, Oak Park’s Top Dog, is so grateful to the ACL for bringing The Mav into her life.

ACL Alum, Maverick