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Latest article by Dr. Al Grossman

The AKC and the Saber-Tooth Curriculum
In a recent issue of the following magazines

The Canine Chronicle
The Cocker Classic
The Sheltie Pacesetter
The Bugler
National Dog of Australia
Irish Setter Memo
Labrador Retriever Quarterly
The Royal Spaniels
Yorkshire Terrier Magazine

Landlords Squeeze Pet Owners With Fewer Options

June 7, 2008
BRANDON, Fla. -- Dawn Murle refusal to part with her pets almost resulted in an hour-plus commute to work.

"When people ask me, 'oh, do you have a husband or a boyfriend or whatever' I say, 'no, neither... but I have three kids," Murle said.

Murle has a one-and-a-half-year old Papillion named Lily, a Pomeranian named Rex who is the same age, and an Australian shepherd named Max, who is three. As a renter, and a pet owner, her options for apartments shrank from 30 to three. She refused to give up any of her dogs.

"I would rather drive an hour in traffic than have to part with any of them," she said.

Murle's problem isn't unique. The National Apartment Association doesn't keep statistics on the ratio of pet owners who rent, and the number of rental units that accept pets. But the American Veterinary Medical Association's report shows 50 percent of renters have pets. The Humane Society of the United States believes more renters would own pets if there were more places for them to live. When they can't find pet-friendly apartments, owners may still rent a home and keep their pet anyway.

"Sometimes they do try to sneak them in. Unfortunately, when they do that, we ask them to pay for a pet deposit or fee, and if they can't come up with it, they have to take it to the family member or the Humane Society," said Brooke Middleton, regional director for marketing of Camden Apartment Communities.

Even at shelters, pets will find they're competing for limited space and won't always find refuge there, says Sherry Silk, executive director of the Humane Society of Tampa. And that can lead to more drastic housing measures.

"I know of two different people who are literally homeless and living in their cars with their animals," Silk said. "There's got to be a place for people to go so they don't have to give up a family member."

If they can't do that, a harsh reality sets in. Pets that do make it into shelters can't stay there forever, Silk said.

"I will tell you, many shelters are full. And if shelters are full, then the humane thing is euthanasia. Is that better than being turned loose on the streets with no one to care for you? Absolutely," Silk said.

Making matters worse is the falling economy and rising foreclosure crisis. Former property and homeowners who own pets and only needed to answer to themselves are now forced to return to the rental market, and battle it out with the overwhelming number of pet-owning renters already competing for a place to live.

Concerns about destruction and disruption are the main reasons why many landlords don't allow pets. Ones that do often have weight or breed restrictions.

That's what Ray Barnes faced when he moved his wife and kids from Pennsylvania to Florida. Barnes family also includes two dogs: Storm, a Labrador-Weimaraner mix, and a Chihuahua.

"It was maddening," Barnes said of the experience he had moving to the Sunshine State nine months ago.

While Camden Apartment Communities encourages more pets to join its complex by inviting the local Humane Society to hold mobile pet adoption events like "Pet Palooza," the property has restrictions like most rental communities.

Typically pet-friendly rental properties will exclude certain breeds of dogs, including German shepherds, pit bulls, Rotweilers, and Doberman pinchers, as well as weight restrictions.

Barnes says he understands landlords may fear disruption and destruction from animals, but says renting to pet owners simply makes good business sense.

"In today's world ­ a lot of people have pets, so if you want to rent your place, you might want to consider taking pets," Barnes said. Statistics show there are more households with pets than without, and pet owners say they hope property owners will help them keep it that way.

PETA: Cage Children, Not Animals

Some North Carolina parents are upset after People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals found a new low yesterday in its disturbing use of children to score activist points. As the centerpiece of an anti-circus protest, PETA employees dressed a 12-year-old girl in prison stripes, placed her inside an animal cage, and put her on public display.

We've told you many times before how PETA targets children with its often lewd and offensive campaigns. But this is the first time we've seen the group enlisting the direct participation of someone so young for a live protest (in a cage no less!). Let's hope it's not a sign of things to come.

June 15, 2008 By Phil Kadner

For some months now, I have been watching a show called the "Dog Whisperer" on cable TV. It is a fascinating program, although the title is misleading. As any viewer of the program can tell you, it should be titled, "Your dog's fine. You are really screwed up."

Or as Cesar Milan, the Dog Whisperer and host of the show, puts it, "There's no such thing as a bad dog, just bad dog owners."

Milan doesn't pretend to talk to the "bad" dogs he quickly turns into "good" dogs on his show. He does observe their behavior in the home as they chew furniture, bark, bite or cower in a corner. Within minutes it seems (I don't know how much videotape editing is done), the dogs are passive, submissive and often wagging their tails. That's when Milan inevitably turns to the human being in the room and rebukes them.

"Bad owner. Very bad owner." He's not that direct, but he makes that same point every time. As a dog owner myself, I want to hide under the couch, one of my pet's favorite tactics.

Why do dogs bark, growl or act in a nasty fashion?

It's usually because they don't get enough exercise, Milan tells viewers. He sometimes puts dogs on a treadmill and lets them run for 30 minutes or more (I don't recommend this without professional supervision).

One of his standard gimmicks is to ask a pet owner to walk his dog on a busy street as Milan and the camera crew observe what happens. The dog will go wild-eyed crazy at the sight of a child on a passing bike, try to attack a motorcycle and behave as if it is going to mutilate every pedestrian.

"You are not being the pack leader," Milan will chastise the dog owner. "You are communicating insecurity to your dog. When your dog thinks you cannot protect it, it feels the need to become the pack leader."

As a viewer, you think to yourself, "This guy is full of beans." Then Milan takes the same dog for a walk.

He lightly pulls the leash if it attempts to bark or go after somebody. Within seconds, the dog is walking down the same busy street, its tail wagging.

No matter how worried you are while walking the dog, Milan says, you've got to be brave. Acting secure is not enough. The dog will know if you are faking.

Often, just to drive home his point, Milan will encourage a member of his staff to ride a bicycle up and down within a few feet of the dog's face.

"See," Milan will say. "He's not insecure any more. He knows I'm the pack leader and can trust me."

I'm sitting at home watching this and thinking: "C'mon doggie. Just take a little piece out of this guy's thigh." About this time, my own dog is barking, demanding attention.

"Never reward a dog's negative behavior," Milan says. I ignore the dog.

The dog jumps on my lap and puts its face directly in front of my face so I cannot see the TV screen. I look the dog in its sad little eyes and pet it. The dog wags its tail. My dog is the pack leader. It has spent years training me, using many of the devices that Milan uses on his show to train dogs.

For example, to show his dominance, Milan will hold out a treat to a dog and make it come to him. If the dog refuses to give in, Milan will place the treat halfway between himself and the dog, and then will repeat the procedure - moving the treat closer to him each time until the dog is eating out of his hand. When my dog wants to play, it drops a toy at my feet. I throw it. When it returns with the toy, it drops it a few feet farther from me. I swear, as I watch the "Dog Whisperer" I can see a smile of awareness cross my animal's face.

"Yep, that's how you do it," the dog is thinking.

Milan never hits a dog. One of his favorite gimmicks, however, is something I call the "rattlesnake rebuke." Using his index and middle finger, he jabs a dog in the neck to get its attention and at the same time makes a hissing sound, "Ssssssss." After one or two strikes, all you have to do is hiss, Milan tells the TV audience.

It can't be that easy.

My dog starts to bark around dinnertime. I do the rattlesnake thing. It works like magic. Well, for a few minutes anyway.

Milan now is telling a "bad" dog owner that she projects "negative energy."

"If you're stressed out, your dog will be stressed out," Milan says. I look at my dog. It has one job as far as I'm concerned, to unstress my life. Now, I'm really stressing out.

I decide to give the dog a treat to make myself feel better.

"Eating is better than walking," I tell the dog, and it seems to agree. The Dog Whisperer is walking a huge pack of dogs, composed of all different breeds, down a busy street. They are happy. He is happy.

My dog is content, having once more proved its dominance. As long as it doesn't ask to share the TV remote, I can live with that.

Phil Kadner can be reached at pkadner@southtownstar.com

SOME BASIC PRINCIPLES of BREEDING

The evolution of a breeder is marked by several stages of development. There is the first stage where interest and desire are born. The second stage is where this interest and desire are implemented by the acquisition of quality breeding stock. The third phase begins when breeding plans are formulated to improve upon the original stock and the fourth stage is launched when the breeder first exercises his selection in evaluating the results of his program. In is this last stage we will focus on along with the highlights of the more important though often overlooked general principle of breeding.

Most beginning breeders feel twinges of self-doubt when it comes to choosing the best puppy or puppies from their early litters. Many articles have been written telling how to select the best puppy in a litter but most are mostly a re-wording or rephrasing of the Breed Standard. In other words one is told to pick the puppy with the best of this and the best of that but saying it and reading and actually DOING it are very different things. The beginner usually makes every effort to learn about each and every little physical trait so that his selections will be correct ones. However, this learning takes both time and experience and often attempting to cover every little trait, the obvious is often overlooked. It is not being able to see the forest because of the trees

Many breeds are no longer used to perform the function for which they were bred. In fact, many breeders are abhorred by the thought of their show dog being used in this fashion. Attitudes such as this give rise to the fads in a breed, which serve no useful purpose.

Copies of this full detailed article may be obtained for only $7.95 and can be downloaded to your computer in minutes.

Times may be tight, but a dog needs to get its grooming
FELICIA LeDUFF HARRY
Correspondent
Published: Sunday, June 29, 2008 at 8:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Sunday, June 29, 2008 at 12:58 a.m.

Emily Schwarze/Staff
Groomer Nicole Verdin brushes Harley, a Yorkie Poo, Thursday at 'Shaggy to Chic' Groom and Board in Houma. Verdin has been grooming dogs for 14 years. With prices at the pump continuing to rise and grocery-store bills climbing with every trip to the check-out line, area pet owners are still finding ways to care for their favorite four-legged friends. Good grooming is an important part of a pet's health, according to Jennifer K. Pierce, a dog groomer at Lafourche Animal Hospital, and pet owners who really care about their pets don't forego professional grooming visits.

"It's all about giving your pet tender loving care," Danielle Boudreaux, owner of Danielle's Dazzlin' Dogs in Thibodaux said, and most pet owners don't cut corners when it comes to keeping their pets not only clean but healthy.

Nicole Verdin, a dog groomer at Shaggy to Chic in Houma agrees with Boudreaux's assertion.

"People who are dog lovers and have pets don't look at [pet grooming] as a luxury; they look at that as a necessity," said Verdin who has been a groomer for 14 years. "Their little dog has to get groomed."

Boudreaux said many of her clients refer to their pets as "their children." Boudreaux specializes in small dogs and in addition to bathing; she clips and adorns the dogs with bows and nail polish, according to the owner's wishes. Even though her shop is nestled in an area that's primarily residential, Boudreaux said she has a steady clientele that keeps her busy.

The constant stream of business is something Verdin also has seen at the Houma grooming shop that's been open for one year under owner Rita Pontiff.

"Business has not slowed one bit for us," she said in a phone interview with the yaps of small dogs filling the room in the background. Verdin added she hasn't seen the impacts of a tight economy making its mark on the local pet-grooming industry yet.

Grooming is an important part of a pet's health, Boudreaux and Pierce agree, for several reasons. For example, the grooming treatment can include some preventive measures, Boudreaux said, such as flea and tick treatments.

"Grooming makes a difference for dogs, such as keeping their ears clean to prevent infection and keeping nails clipped to prevent them from growing back into the pads," Pierce said. And, groomers usually check the pet's teeth, even though thorough cleanings are usually the job of a veterinarian.

Boudreaux and Pierce say they have regular customers and haven't seen a change in business other than for seasonal changes. In the summer, many dog owners prefer to have their dogs' coats short just for comfort. Pierce usually works with large dogs and said being in a veterinary office has its advantages. Some dogs are aggressive, some are elderly and others may need special assistance that the doctor can give, such as a sedative, Pierce said. It takes about 30 minutes to bathe a large dog, she said. And, the veterinarian can check the dog's shot record and give shots if they are needed.

Pierce said she developed a love of animals from her father, whose office she works in and from her mother, who also was a groomer.

Boudreaux said she owns six poodles and has always loved dogs, and becoming a groomer was a good career choice.

Choosing a groomer is important, according to Marie B. Fournier, owner of Pawsitively Dogs in Thibodaux.

"There are really a lot of good groomers in this area," she said, which is a good thing because there has to be a good relationship between the groomer and the pet, and the groomer and the owner. Sometimes, she said, it takes a while to find a good match, just as when humans try to find a doctor they like.

While Verdin said she doesn't hear how customers are making concessions for getting their pets groomed, she credits the salon's competitive pricing and customer referral for its constant business.

"What I mainly get from them (customers) is that our prices are good," she said. "They'll tell me that they went somewhere else and paid $60 for a basic $30 groom and it's like 'Wow!'"

Fournier said pet owners should understand the grooming needs of particular kinds of dogs; some may need grooming more often than others. Fournier breeds Bichon Frises, which require grooming every six to eight weeks.

"It's something they (pet owners) feel they need to have done and they don't want to cut the dog grooming," Verdin said.

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