You will thank me for this one… This will only take a couple of weeks but do reinforce often.

Keep a dog whistle next to the dog (or cat) food and treats and use it EVEY TIME you feed.. Blow the whistle and use the “come” command with praise EVERY TIME… Start using the whistle for training when you call your dog.. NEVER PUNISH when a dog obeys the “COME” command..

You will be very pleased when you soon find that your dog comes to your verbal command even if you do not use the whistle… Your dog will have learned the vocal command .. If you have a dog that is not food motivated.. good luck! Many sled type long-haired dogs are not food motivated…

Silent Dog Whistles about $10-12..
Invented by Acme in 1935, the Silent Whistle is the perfect choice people who live in an urban environment, where noise is a factor. Most dogs hear quite clearly frequencies that the human ear cannot. Both models are adjustable within the frequency range of 5400 Hz. to 12,800 Hz. So they can be tuned to your dog’s specific hearing level. Whether your dog is working close to you or at a distance this model is the perfect choice

MORE detailed instruction…

COMING WHEN CALLED You must have the ability to recall your dog, no matter what the situation or other temptations. The best way to achieve this is by ensuring that returning to you is a rewarding and highly pleasurable experience available to them. To do this it is essential that you never punish your dog for returning to you regardless of what they were doing before (or how angry it made you!).

Recalling a young puppy is often quite easy as they often lack the confidence to wander far away. It is important to take advantage of this period in building the recall command and associating it with very positive experiences. To get your dog’s attention and make it return to you, be prepared to step out of your comfort zone in terms of your own behavior. Use high pitched voices, clap your hands, jump up and down. Make yourself seem as interesting as possible to your dog. If you are really desperate, use a treat or run in the opposite direction to your dog. Their natural chase instinct nearly always gets their attention and brings them running. When they get to you, heap on the praise, hug them, play a short game or a tummy rub. Anything that makes them think returning to you is just the real business.

Start to introduce the whistle when recalling. To start with, you could just whistle yourself unaided and gradually move onto the dog whistle as your distances increase. Assuming your dog is able to sit on command, practice walking away from them a short distance, then using the pip-pip to recall. Sometimes return to your dog instead of doing the recall. This will stop your dog anticipating the command or always assume a sit/stay is followed by a recall.

If at any time your dog seems confused, keep calm and don’t start shouting (this will only make things worse). Go back to commands that your dog has mastered and start to build up slowly again. Training is always two steps forwards and one back.

The man who found him will be getting him scanned.

Jordan today with Holly…  Jordan now ALSO has Megaesophagus… blog coming soon…

This is a re-post… Jordan is well thanks to Animal Medical Center and Margret.

contact Jordan’s physical therapist, Margret.

—Her new info:–

Rose Aniaml Hospital–626-792-8433—-

dogpaddleinc@hotmail.com–

2695 East Foothill Boulevard–

Pasadena California 91107

If video does not appear click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyVvs8tNpNE

see previous below…

past blog of Jordan

Unrelated to the spinal stroke, Jordan has a tumor on her front toe and will have the toe amputated this Friday..
Results are expected to be good…

FC (spinal stroke) on Aug. 4,2007.. She was fully paralyzed on on 4 legs.. see previous..

This is “Jet” a nine month old Los Angeles shelter rescue, and kittens.. Born o/a April 12, 2008..

Homes are now being scrutinized! Several have wonderful homes waiting til they are weaned..

Easier to “liberate” information from the web.. here is a great link on pet safety.. check put the link..

also.. download, cut the strips and put the “dog left in car fliers” in your car.. “Dog Left In Car” flyer to downoad

http://www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/PETTIPS/DogTip_HouseholdSafety.php

Dog Tip: Household Hazards, Poisons and Safety
* Medications: always put them out of reach of pets and children. For example, according to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, pseudoephedrine – an ingredient commonly found in certain cold, allergy and sinus medications – can be extremely dangerous to companion animals. It does not take as much of the drug to cause a serious problem. As little as one tablet containing 30 milligrams of pseudoephedrine could produce clinical signs in a 20-pound dog, including nervousness, hyperactivity and elevated heart rate; a dose of only three 30-milligram tablets could be lethal to a dog that size. Avoid poisoning two ways:

1. Never give your animal any medication without first talking to your pet’s veterinarian.

2. Store all medications in a secure cabinet well out of the reach of animals. And remember: a pet can easily chew open even childproof containers.

3. Keep handbags, totes and other bags out of reach, particularly if you carry any medications in them.

* Antifreeze and bittering agents: in 2004, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center issued a notice that it is currently unaware of any well-controlled published scientific research demonstrating that dogs can be consistently protected from antifreeze poisoning through the addition of denatonium benzoate as a bittering agent added to antifreeze. While such products may be less toxic, there is no scientific proof that they are in fact safe. Be sure to see the antifreeze section later in this tipsheet.

* Continuous-cleaning toilet products: toxic reactions have been reported. See the toilet-related tip in the household dangers section below.

Many people are familiar with what is defined as the “submissive urinator”; the dog that urinates all over the floor, you the owner, and your guests, as soon as it becomes excited, aroused, or intimidated. It can be a frustrating and embarrassing problem, but fortunately is usually quite easily corrected. Puppies, especially shy, timid and oversensitive ones are the likely candidates for submissive urination, but it is not uncommon to see this problem persist into adulthood. There tends to be more females with this problem as well. Dog owners who are dominant and strict tend also to encourage a submissive relationship with their dog.

Common situations where dogs get excited or fearful, and urinate are:

-overaffectionate greetings
-when you arrive home
-guests entering your home
-arguments between people
-scolding
-loud noises
In order to understand this behavior, you must understand the language of dominance and submissiveness. Young puppies learn this from their mother. Gestures like averting eyes, rolling on their back, and urinating, are all used to express submissiveness. In situations where a dog feels intimidated, the proper learned response for them is to elicit some submissive signal to show the person or other dog that they recognize their dominance. Urination in this case is not deliberate or spiteful. To deal with this problem, the first thing that you must do is have your veterinarian examine your dog for possible physical abnormalities pertaining to this problem. Sickness and disease can cause difficulty for your pet to control their facilities. If physical problems prove to be the cause, discuss options specific to your dog’s situation with your veterinarian as to your possible options (e.g. surgery, drugs, coping mechanisms).

If your dog is found to be healthy and is diagnosed with a behavioral problem, begin by observing what types of situations make your dog feel excited or threatened. Knowing these, you can design your plan of action to suit the needs of your dog.

http://www.usask.ca/wcvm/herdmed/applied-ethology/behaviourproblems/suburine.html

The vets that I worked for would say that cats have “non-specific vomiting and diarrhea”.. means that sometimes we don’t know.. and that’s okay.. just treat the symptoms..

Please listen to my brief pod cast on this..

Remember that you may subscrib to it through itunes.. Jan

BELOW From Cornell University.. better then I can say it..

www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/news/hair.htm

A Hairy Dilemma
Cornell Feline Health Center
March 29, 2006

Hairballs are usually harmless – but not always. Here’s when they’re hazardous.

Your old Persian cat, Farah, is napping peacefully on your new Persian rug. Suddenly, she bolts up, wide awake and clearly uncomfortable. She crouches, extends her neck, and for a few seconds, retches, hacks and gags in distress. Then, to her relief (and your dismay), she spits up something scary looking – right on that valuable Persian rug.

What Farah has disgorged is a trichobezoar – a damp wad of undigested hair, moistened by bile and other digestive fluids – that’s commonly referred to as a hairball. Despite that term, hairballs are rarely globular in shape. Rather, they are most often slender and cylindrical. According to Joanna Guglielmino, DVM, they are generally similar in appearance to a cigar or sausage, an elongated shape imparted by the narrow food tube (esophagus) through which a hairball passes on its adventurous journey from the cat’s stomach to the outside world.

“At first glance, a hairball can be confused with feces,” says Dr. Guglielmino, an associate veterinarian at The Cat Doctor, a Seattle-area clinic specializing in feline health. “But if you’re courageous enough to examine it closely, you’ll discover that its odor is not really foul, only mildly fetid, and it’s apt to be the same color as your cat’s fur.”

Regurgitated hairballs are variable in size. “They are usually about an inch long,” she says, “but I’ve seen some that are five inches long and an inch thick.”

How Hairballs Develop

Hairballs are the unsavory byproduct of a good, clean habit. As your cat grooms herself, she swallows a lot of the dead hair that has come loose. This is because tiny backward-slanted projections (papillae) on the surface of her rough tongue propel the indigestible hair down her throat and into her stomach. While most of this hair eventually passes through the animal’s digestive tract and is excreted intact in the feces, some of it remains in the stomach and gradually accumulates into a wet clump – the hairball.

According to Dr. Guglielmino, kittens and young cats are less apt to develop hairballs than older cats that, as well-experienced groomers, are likely to spend a good portion of their waking hours busily licking their coats. Some cats are, by nature, more fastidious than others in their grooming habits. Long-haired breeds – such as Persians and Maine Coons – are at significantly greater risk than short-haired breeds. And the development of hairballs is more frequent in seasons of the year when cats shed their coats.

Appropriate Concern

It’s not uncommon, says Dr. Guglielmino, for a cat to “upchuck” a hairball once every week or two, and that’s nothing to worry about. However, if your cat is lethargic and refuses to eat for more than a day or so, or has had repeated episodes of unproductive retching, you should consult your veterinarian without delay.

It’s possible that a hairball, instead of being regurgitated, has passed from her stomach into her intestine and is creating a potentially life-threatening blockage somewhere within the digestive tract. Or it’s possible that the frequent hacking has nothing at all to do with hairballs. It may instead be a sign that the animal is suffering from a serious respiratory ailment, such as asthma, in which case emergency treatment would be necessary.

Diagnosis of intestinal blockage, says Dr. Guglielmino, is based on physical examination, bloodwork, radiography and a history of the animal’s pattern of hairball regurgitation. If a blockage is detected, surgery may be the only way to remove the hairball. More often, therapy will center on protecting the intestine through several days of clinical care that includes intravenous rehydration and the use of a laxative to move the hairball through the digestive tract. This extended supportive care, she notes, can cost between $300 and $400.

Reducing the Risk

To minimize and possibly prevent the development of hairballs and their complications, Dr. Guglielmino recommends the following:

- Get your cat accustomed to a daily brushing and combing.
- If the animal won’t allow it, take her to the veterinarian or a reputable groomer for a haircut once or twice a year. This is especially effective in long-haired breeds.
- Feed her a hairball remedy – usually a mild petroleum-based laxative – once or twice a week.

In addition, she advises, keep the floors of your home free of thread, paper clips, twist-wraps, and other materials that, if ingested, can become dangerous hairball ingredients.

By Tom Ewing