tomorrow act now - House Bill 344, An Act Prohibiting Devocalization

House Bill 344, An Act Prohibiting Devocalization, could be going to the floor tomorrow. So it is essential that you call your State Senator tomorrow morning from 8:00 to 10:30am. 

Get as many people as you can to call too!

When you call the office of your State Senator urge that the Senator Pass House Bill 344 as written-without amendments. Say that amendments would hurt animals and not help them. Be sure to say that you're a constituent and you vote! Also say that you will be following the bill closely. 

Please make the call, it will only take a minute of your time but it will help a lot. Please get as many people as you can to call their State Senators too.

Find your State Senator here: http://www.wheredoivotema.com, enter your address then look for "senate in general court."

Rabies vaccinations for $10 In Somerville

Thank you to som|dog

 + $10 Rabies Shots

Bring your cats (in carriers, please) and dogs (on leash, please) to the Somerville Department of Public Works Highway Garage (1 Franey Road), for rabies shots for only $10, Saturday morning, April 3, 2010. Dog licences will also be available: the cost of a 2010 dog license is $12 for animals that have been spayed or neutered (bring proof of spay/neuter); $20 for intact animals. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health requires that all cats and dogs six months old and older to be vaccinated against rabies. Dogs six months old and older must be licensed.

Take care of your dogs, they take care of you!

Thank you for the Support for Shamrock

We have had an enormous out-poring of support for Shamrock via email; including encouragement and shared stories of owners that have gone through similar scenarios previously. I wanted to publicly acknowledge those people and thank thegroup! I ask that you post those prayers and well wishes here rather then email if possible. Sincerely thank you! 

We will update everyone asap with more information. 

Shamrock to have biopsy for lump -- updates

I and BDO apologize for the lack of our normally daily updates, but my dog Shamrock, the 9 1/2 chocolate Labrador and best friend may have cancer so this has occupied much of the teams time and therefore lack of time to update the site regularly. 

Please say a Prayer for Shamrock and we will keep you updated on his status. Hopefully it will be a simple operation and removal of something benign or a polyp or anything other then cancer that is common at his age and breed.

Thank you.

Devocalization still needs help!

Please call your State (Beacon Hill) Senator AND your vet immediately.

Mass. Veterinary Medical Assn. has mobilized its membership
to lobby against the devocalization bill today--
telling vets the bill would hurt them!

WRONG: House Bill 344 would simply protect helpless dogs and cats
from having their vocal cords cut solely to stifle their voices.

Only vets who perform this cruel procedure would be affected by the law.

Call your State (Beacon Hill) Senator again: Say you want House Bill 344 to pass quickly as written. Find your senator at 1-800-462-8683 or enter your address at www.wheredoivotema.com and look for your Senate in General court.
Call your vet too: Ask that s/he join the more than 200 compassionate veterinarians in Massachusetts who have endorsed House Bill 344.

Let your vet know: A simple certificate stating the reason for legal, medically necessary vocal cord surgery would not compromise vets or clients as MVMA says. Without it, vets could devocalize under the radar, cruel business as usual.

What reflects badly on vets is surgery performed solely to stifle an animal's voice--and the sanctioning of such an inhumane practice by lobbying against legislation that would end it.

Just the Facts
Because House Bill 344 allows vocal cord surgery only to treat disease, injury or birth defects, it requires that a simple certificate stating the medical reason for vocal cord surgery be filed after surgery is performed. This is in line with other MA laws requiring vets to issue and file certificates.
MVMA is urging vets to defeat the bill based on its misinterpretation of this provision. Clarification will be filed by Coalition to Protect and Rescue Pets.
The association exists to protect members' business interests. Apparently, enough vets devocalize for MVMA to allocate lobbying and financial resources to kill House Bill 344.


Meet devocalized dogs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZPoyuMw870
Hear what the experts have to say: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4ADbMoX4aw&feature=related

Weekend Observations!

With the nice weather we at BDO have been very busy helping many new clients with whatever training assistance you are in need of! Here are some training suggestions..

1. Tire your dog out before a training session- this satisfies their physical or body needs!

2. When training with treats, cut your dogs food down. This not only makes them work harder for the treats but it controls the weight problems that some dogs may encounter!

3. Change your body positioning when using commands. For example if your dog nails Sit- while you are standing up. Try the sit when you are sitting down in a chair. Its a completely different concept to most dogs.

4. WAIT YOUR DOG OUT! One of the most important things to realize when you are training your dog commands is to not over use the word that you associate with the action. for example- Rover sit..... sit.... sit... sit.. Rover SIT!..

What you are actually doing is conditioning the dog to think- I know that shes going to say it at least three more times before I actually Have to sit.

So wait your dog out- Most of them if they have not been trained by you by day one are going to try to test your limits. Eventually they are going to realize that in order to get what they want (i.e. treat, toy, moving forward on a walk) They are going to have to do what you asked of them.

5. Keep training sessions brief when doing it at home. 3-4 sessions a day 5-15 minutes tops. You want to end the sessions on positive notes so stay in tune with your dogs body language. You will see a point in which you are going to "lose their focus". End it right before you get there and...

6. ALWAYS end sessions on a positive note!

7. If you get stuck.. give us a call!

Also BDO is ALWAYS Looking for feedback! Feel free to email us, Yelp us, or comment on this site! Its a great way for us to improve our service to you!

Hey Tom Brady! THANK YOU!

Yesterday I had the pleasure of listening to Mix 104.1 on the radio and I quickly turned it off .

http://mix1041.radio.com/2010/03/18/is-a-new-brady-baby-a-new-pitbull-dangerous/

If you refer to our post on Pitbulls from a few weeks ago you can see why. One of the concerns voiced was- Giselle saying dont look the dog in the eye...... IE. No touch, no talk, no eye contact. Cesar's words just lost in translation. Tom is starting off with a puppy- a blank slate- whatever behavioral issues that dog has in the future is based on how he is raised. If Tom, the QB of the NE Pats can bring them to the superbowl. Im pretty confident hes got a good grasp on the whole pack leader thing!

And for those of you questioning pits and kids- For your viewing pleasure (my pitt mix Chloe!)- If you have any of your own pictures send them to jcrossman@boston-dogs.org. I would love to see them!

MSPCA- Nevins Farm

Yesterday I had the pleasure of visiting this facility and walking a few of the dogs there. Its hard for me to go there and not want to help all the dogs but one in particular caught my eye. Meet Barnubus, and 8 month old Pit/ Bull Terrier Mix. He looked so much Like My dog I had to take him out. I was warned that he was jumpy and nippy and tries to get over on some people- If he did those things please bring him back in. I very rarely I tell people that I am a dog trainer and deal these easy things on a daily basis. I "Live in the Moment" (Thanks Cesar). She hands me a bag of treats and off I went.

First stop the door- His paw is nudging at the door trying to get out. So I just stand there. Me not knowing this dog from a hole in the wall, I just wait him out a bit and I ask him for a sit. And low and behold he sits. Perfect. Out the door I go.. FIRST. He pulls- I stop and Low and behold he looks at me. Click, treat and off we go. Now I only had 15 minutes to spare for this guy but I would have given him my whole afternoon. I dont know if he knew "touch" (touch your nose to my hand) before me but when asked to do it he happily obliged. He would jump up when we started walking again and I just stopped and immediately he sat so off we went again. I heard someone off in the distance ask me if that was "Maya" I yelled back (they prefer that dogs don't greet there) Nope Its "Barnubus" and they were both shocked and amazed and yelled back that he was doing so well with you! I smiled and in my head thought He is a peice of cake! Time to head back in. He paws at the door- looks at me and sits. I did not ask for any of that. In 10 minutes of a structured, stimulating, fun walk he respected me as his leader.

Here is my friend. He is available at the MSPCA in Methuen- An 8 month old male pit/bull terrier mix who is VERY smart and just needs someone who is willing to be his Pack leader :) If anyone is interested give them a call or head up there. It truly is a great facility. If you or anyone you know adopts him- Let me know. BDO is here to help all dogs get out of the shelters and he has already caught the heart of one of their trainers!

More Client Praise..

Aidan S.'s Review

*****

2/8/2010

Boston Dogs Organization helped me with my Scotties (Corbu, Scarpa, and Wright). Jaime, our trainer and personal guide, helped me from full frustration with them. She educated me on being calm and seek the individual needs of each dog, then moved on to working with all the dogs as one. Boston Dogs Organization is the lowest cost in metro Boston (and I called about 6 different training companies). She continually checks in and make sure any questions I have are answered. Jaime is our trainer, but also become our friend. She has a full comprehension of the traits and needs of different types of dogs.... I would highly recommend Boston Dogs Organization personal quality of service!

Debarking update!

This post is a few days late but Check this article out. The Bill is onto the Senate!
http://wbztv.com/local/dog.barking.bill.2.1534969.html

To Quote the article-
Rep. Coakley-Rivera of Springfield told testified in support for the ban. "Devocalization is inhumane and must be stopped. Please support this bill without any amendments. Most people who devocalize their dogs don't take the time and training. Little dogs have a tendency to yelp, it's their only defense."

Time and Training? Thats where we BDO comes into play. We are the most cost-effective at home trainers in Boston! Contact us for more info!

K9 Veterans Day

In the United States, we rest safe and sound at night thanks to the service of brave men, women… and dogs! Every year on March 13th, K9 Veterans Day honors not only those in the K9 Corps, but also the Police K9s, Customs K9s, Border Patrol K9s, Secret Service K9s, Airport Police K9s, F.B.I. K9s, and other dogs that protect us every day.

Have you dog fixed...We will help you.

Stat - Non Neutered Male Dogs account for 75% of dogs hit by cars. Why, because they are driven to run seeking out female dogs and get hit. There are numerous other positive health and behavioral reasons to dogs in general.

On the lighter side - if you ever watched Wheel of Fortune, Bob Barker is watching you!

If you need free transportation to a free clinic to do this for your dog contact us, please.

$1000+ fiance to save her life? who can help

From the album:
"Wall Photos" by Hoth Ar Rescue

This poor 2 yr female Pittie girl has demodectic mange and needs help. It's easily treated and not contagious!
Can anyone help her have a new life? She's at Baldwin Park shelter, ID# 4094220.
Baldwin Park Shelter: 626 430-2378 626 430-2378

ALERT one year old male Yellow Labrador Retreiver needs home or foster ASAP

We need everyone's help on this. This dog needs a new home NOW. We have volunteered to train the dog for free AND will transport him to a free Neutering. I will have a picture shortly. This poor animal has been changed in his crate almost constantly and in an unstable home.

Please email us if you can help info@boston-dogs.org and write Yellow Lab in the subject line.

Exercise- How much is too much?

I never even have to ask myself this question. Being the owner of a very high energy mixed breed there is no way I could ever tire her out completely. Even after a full day at daycare- She is still ready to take a quick (15 minutes while I get settled after work) nap then go out on our 3 mile walk and continue to have a pretty intense game of tug and/or training!

Is there such thing as too much exercise? Think of a child. What happens when they get overtired? Cranky, irritable, not listening? Well its similar for a dog. Its important for you to do some research on your dogs breed and even their age to see what their typical exercise need is. Then just observe your dog. Different activities and trainings exert different states- mind and body. It is best to work both the mind and the body everyday.

Also with the weather getting nicer, and the days getting longer (We can all shout, YES! here) there will be more time in the day to get your dog out and about. Make sure you bring some water or make sure that there is some accessible for your dog. They can overheat too!

Remember a tired dog is a fulfilled, Happy dog!

Pet Amber Alert Page for lost Pets!!!

http://www.petamberalert.com/ 

If you dog or other Pet is lost of stolen this site could save your Pets life. We have no affiliation with them directly, but wanted to introduce this to our community.  A lost pet is a lost family member.

Who likes the new Logo

It was generously designed by our Web Consultant Trevor Mulligan who has used his professional talents to help Boston Dogs Organization pro-bono and is the owner of two great pups himself



He is also driving the launch of our new website, while this location will remain as a blog. So I wanted to publicly acknowledge Trevor and our other volunteers. Thank You!

Where aremembers volunteer. Its absolutely amazing the percentage that do so!

Boston Dogs Organization  www.boston-dogs.org    7 members


Animal Rescue league of Boston  www.arl-boston.org    3 members


MSPCA - Angell  www.mspca.org   4 members



The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan   channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/dog-whisperer  

The Buddy Dog Humane Society  www.buddydoghs.com/

Best Friends Humane Society Dog Town  www.bestfriends.org

The Humane Society of the United States   www.humanesociety.org/
 
Neurofibromatosis, Inc  www.nfinc.org/
 
Save a Dog  www.saveadog.org

Emerald Necklace Conservancy  www.emeraldnecklace.org 

Mission Hill Parks  www.mtrp.org/

Boston Collaborative for Food and Fitness  www.masspreventioncenter.org/Food_and_Fitness/


Animal No-Kill Shelter of Chicago

Golden Retriever Club of Charlotte, NC  www.grrcc.com
 
Yankee Golden Retriever Rescue   www.ygrr.org/

This is a list of only one fifth of our members. Thank you!

Our Training Secret Weapon and something every dog owner should know?

To supplement training (in some cases) we employ our Certified Service Dog. - Shamrock! And other calm, submissive, well trained dogs.

We can also break stereo types that owners often reprimand their dog for. For example when dogs sniff each other bums, other people. Dog rely on Energy and Scent, then Sight and Hearing. The average dog have olfactory nodes in their nose; more than 60 times that of  humans.

We can also help you pass the American Kennel Club's Canine Good Citizen (CGC Certification)

What is the most typical problem amoungst a statisacal sampling of our clients? It the life saving "Recall" command. Embedding in your dog the ability to come to you under any circumstances that can safe you from paying a ticket, being kicked out of store, a insurance or lawsuit issue, and most importantly you dog's life!

This is SERIOUS. If you dog doesn't COME 100% of the time - Boston Dogs Organization can help and we advocate that it is duty of any responsible dog owner to do so.

Thoughts???

What our clients are saying about Boston Dogs Oranization training.

--- a client of trainer Jamie C.

"Hi!

We have been working with Bodie and its been going really well (minus the fact that we haven't gotten a bell... having a hard time finding one... well only looked at CVS so far....)

 

Its funny it seems like doing the "touch" training has given him some confidence- his fear has definitely gone down. Even random things on the streets.. a bag flew at him the other day and he flinched, but didn't flee in fear. No more accidence- we have been trying to pay better attention to him- seems as though he is smarter than we originally thought because he does stand in front of the door when he needs to go out- I think before it was our fault of not paying attention enough- so I think the bell will really help both Bodie and us.

Also we have been walking him more often so I think that alone always helps with behavior right?

We will be in CT this weekend so we won't be able to make it to the meet-up group... Bodie will be playing with his cousin Layla instead... a 5 yr old great dane. She gallops around the yard and he does his best to keep up!!!!!!

See you in a week :)

-Melissa"

 

We communicate constantly with our clients. Go Bodie and Melissa! Its critical to educate BOTH dog and owner, often the owner more :-) 

 

Oh yeah - we are more than 50%+ of more cost-effective then our closest competitor financially. I hesitate to use the word competitor; one because we are a nonprofit 501(c)(3), two we receive clients that have failed, not been accepted, kicked out, or just didn't learn because a their lack of expertise. Its a Passion, not a Business 

 

 

Micro-Chipping- Why it's important

Here is a great story to show why microchipping is SO important. There are many low-cost options available to us around the city at different times of year. If you need help to find one shoot us an email.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/35696541/ns/today-today_pets_and_animals/?gt1=43001

Take advatage of LivingSocial Partnership with Boston Dogs Organization for Training

 

Your Daily Deal for Boston

 

www.boston-dogs.org

$20 for an Hour-Long, In-Home Session with a Dog Trainer from The Boston Dogs Organization

In need of some doggie discipline? The Boston Dogs Organization can help train that pesky pup into man's best friend with one hour of in-home training service: Only $20 with today's LivingSocial deal. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, The Boston Dogs Organization is one of the few Certified Service Dog Trainers in all of metro Boston. Plus they guarantee the lowest prices anywhere in the city. To continue the mission to help our four-legged friends, Boston Dogs donates its proceeds to help canine rescue organizations like Animal Rescue League of Boston, MSPCA-Angell, and other local and nation-wide organizations. Go ahead: wag your tail!

$48

Value

×

58%

Discount

=

$28

Savings

 

The Little Details

* No cash value/cash back
* No limit - buy as many as you'd like!
* Entire value must be used in one visit
* Cannot be combined with any other offer or promotion
* Only 1 voucher is redeemable per dog; multiple vouchers may be purchased if used on multiple dogs
* Voucher is valid for dog training only
* Boston Dogs will come to your location for the dog training appointment; serving Back Bay, South End, Kenmore/Fenway, Beacon Hill, Financial District, Seaport District, and South Boston
* 24 hours advance notice to schedule training; subject to availability.

Must be redeemed by 09/01/2010

Deal Location

http://www.Boston-dogs.org

 

$20

Buy Now

 

Send as a gift

 

 

 

02

d

:

11

h

:

01

m

 

We're giving a gift, too!

During the 12 Days of Gifting, LivingSocial will donate a portion of all gifts given in your city to local charities.
See the charities we're giving to in your city.

Sign up!

Get one fantastic local deal straight to your inbox every morning!

 

Join

www.livingsocial.com

 

What a day!

Walking isnt just for the Dogs!

According to research from the University of Missouri, people who walk dogs are more consistent about regular exercise and show more improvement in fitness than people who walk with a human companion. In this study, to the suprise of the researchers, the dog walkers showed a big improvement in fitness, while the people who chose a human to walk with, began making excuses to skip the workout. Walking speed among the dog walkers increased by 28%! Take advantage of this day Boston and get your walking shoes on!

House to Vote Tomorrow on Decovalization Bill- House Bill 344

Thanks to the Coalition to Protect and Rescue Pets for providing this information.MassachusettsHouse To Vote Wednesday On Devocalization BanPlease call immediately to protect dogs and cats from vocal cord mutilationAn Act Prohibiting Devocalization, House Bill 344, would ban surgical silencing of companion animals in Massachusetts - a cruel practice that’s more common than you think. Some breeders and show dog exhibitors devocalize routinely to facilitate their businesses, especially in residential neighborhoods.
An AKC breeder had Stella devocalized. A kind person saved her life, but no one could save her voice. Stella is now mute. Thanks to your efforts, we are now a step closer to ending this cruelty. Your call NO LATER THAN Tuesday afternoon is essential to put a meaningful humane law on the books. You can make it happen!House Bill 344 has now been released from Third Reading. It is scheduled for a vote Wednesday, after discussion at the Democratic caucus on Tuesday. Legislative allies of the dog breeders' are poised to kill or gut the bill. Don't let them.
Call the office of your State (Beacon Hill) Rep. Find him or her at www.wheredoivotema. com (enter your address, then look for your Rep in General Court). It's quick. It's easy. It's important.Tell an aide: "Please ensure House Bill 344 is approved on Wednesday as written." Tell them it is a very important issue to you, and tell them why.If you get voicemail: Leave the above message along with your name and address to show you're a constituent. Then try to call again.If your Rep is a sponsor (scroll down to the end for a list), also thank him or her for taking a humane stand!More info:Oppose language like that below that would kill this humane bill:"Allowable as a last resort to manage barking" is unenforceable. No vet can ensure a client pursued all humane recourse. Some won't ask."Permissible if performed by a licensed vet" would enable the status quo, and animals would continue to be maimed for convenience and profit. Meet devocalized dogs and their rescuers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZPoyuMw870
Hear what animal experts say: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4ADbMoX4awAn Act Prohibiting Devocalization, House Bill 344, is sponsored by Coalition to Protect and Rescue Pets, an all-volunteer network of Massachusetts companion animal guardians and other concerned individuals. It is STRONGLY endorsed by In Defense of Animals (IDA).House Bill 344 is also endorsed by Angell Animal Medical Center, the New England Federation of Humane Societies, and compassionate veterinarians statewide. Legislative Sponsors

Off-leash Recall

One of the most common things trainers are asked to help dog owners work on is off leash recall. Its important for a variety of safety reasons, the most obvious- not wanting the dog to get hit by a car or get lost. It is also important for other dogs. My dog needs a proper introduction with dogs before she actually trusts them. I can't tell you how many times that we have had a little issue with dogs that are not on voice command by their owners bounding into my dogs space. If I didnt have a dog like this, I myself probably would not have realized the importance of recall around other dogs. This past weekend I was hiking in an area where leashes are "required" and this happy dog came bounding up to us. I did my usual "alright chloe lets go" and turned around to avoid the dog but I soon realized that we were not going to be able to. So I dropped the leash and said in a calm assertive voice. Ok Chloe- Go greet. My dog was in a down-on high alert and not relaxed. The dog that was coming our way should have realized that my dog did not want to be approached. They did their little greeting dance and the dog got up in Chloes face. She snapped- then the dog went back to its owner and the owner leashed her dog up. Not only did my dog have a bad experience. The other off leash dog did too. This is also another reason to respect the leash laws if your dog is not on a great voice command. You never know when a biker might fly by or another dog might not like yours. Owners are the pack leaders- We are the ones that give our dogs good experiences and they look to us for that. We all know how hard it is to get our dogs attention in the face of distraction- whether that be another dog or a slice of prime rib.

We at BDO can help you with your dogs recall! As with any training it will not happen over night. But with consistent and proper training most dogs can be under voice or signal command! Let us help you!

In the meantime here are some tips-
-Check out the hide and seek game I posted last month.
- Don't just leash up your dog to leave the park. the dog will figure out that every time you call him over to you- you are leaving the park. So leash your dog up when he comes to check in with you- put him in a sit (for example) and take the leash off and release your dog to play again. Him coming to you was rewarded by going to play again.

We are seeking an experienced Grant writer

Please send resume to info@boston-dogs.org