Punk & Pamela

Pamela is the owner of Kits Bow Wow Haus and Punk is her little rescue dog who helps her look after the store.

How old is Punk?

Punk is probably just under 2. I am not really sure because he is a rescue. We think he was about 7 or 8 months old when I got him a year ago.

 What is your favourite thing about Punk’s personality?

Punk is an extremely calm, snuggly dog who appreciates nothing better than being held. Mostly he likes me to hold him, but he actively asks customers that come into the shop to pick him up and his calmness then melts their hearts.

My family thinks he is the perfect dog because he is a smart, sweet little guy and on top of that he is so ridiculously cute that it makes you laugh! Don’t think that he is a pushover though. Punk has a defiant streak a mile wide and firmly sees himself as the guy in charge; you have to earn some things with him.

Punk loves to play with people and all dogs. He is undaunted by size, some of his favorite playmates outsize his 10 lbs impressively! A five month old, 50 lb Kuvasz puppy, or Hubba a 40 lb neighbourhood doggie are great examples. Truly though I think people are really Punk’s thing. He makes friends so easily and I hear he is a star in several facebook photo albums.  Then there is Pete Murray who is in town for a few months from Scotland (Pete is featured in a previous blog called “Dog Beach Q & A”). Pete and Punk have become fast friends and go for walks to dog beach a few times a week. Pete believes Punk should be more famous than Boo.

http://www.boothedog.net/

What is Punk’s rescue story?

Punk was in a shelter in Los Banos, California where not too many people visited and there was little chance of him being adopted. They issued a plea to the rescue community to get him out of there as they really did not want to kill him. Pamela McKenzie (Pamelasdogs.com) saw the plea and rescued him. The first picture of him showed a very sad matted dirty little dog with blood on his leg. We thought he might have been hurt in a in a fight, but it turned out he was so infested with fleas that he had been biting at his leg to stop the itching. After he was pulled from the shelter he was fostered in a yurt community where he was treated for the fleas. Pamela brought him across the border in mid-February 2011, and he came to me with a crazy hair cut and very damaged skin. I fostered him for about 3 hours before I realized that there was no way I could let him go.

 What is the funniest thing Punk has ever done?

I am not sure this is a funny thing, but it really makes me wonder about his past. He is terrified of Buddha. We have encountered Buddha sculptures in gardens and in shops, each time he cowers and will not go near them. He holds back with all of his might. I have tried to give him a safe place to explore from, held him and carefully approached the Buddha but he is just too afraid to get close. Once I touched the Buddha – clearly that was not okay for him. I won’t do that again.

 How has Punk changed your life?

Oh my goodness. Taking any pet into one’s life is a changer. Punk is a really sweet, little, love muffin that opens hearts; he opened mine up too.

Vancouver’s New Star

George the Yorkie made his television debut a few weeks ago on The Real Housewives of Vancouver. In one segment this little guy visited Yaletown dog boutique, Barking Babies and tried on the couture styles of local line, Perverted Puppies. The Perverted Puppies line carries t-shirts and hoodies with slogans such as:

BONE ME/YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT BIG PAWS/CHASING TAIL/I’M INTO HEAVY PETTING….and many more. Perfect for people who want something a little edgy for their canine companion to wear.

http://www.pervertedpuppies.com/

Puppy Obedience

I recently had a chance to sit down with Simone of “Oh My Dog!” training to discuss the importance of obedience classes for puppies. Below are some of the reasons a basic obedience class is a great idea to help a puppy become a good dog:

Safe, controlled and appropriate socialization keeps the puppy safe, well adjusted, and helps him or her become a good companion. Unfortunately, dogs who aren’t well socialized do not adapt well to new situations and often become fearful.

Puppies rapid learning begins at about 7 weeks and what they learn will have a lasting impact.  Not only will they learn new skills, but they will learn whether they are being taught or not.

Though their attention span is short, the things they learn are learned permanently and  are resistant to change. Therefore, owners need to be careful about what their puppies are learning at this time.  Showing them what is expected and establishing the rules while still a puppy is far easier than trying to train your dog later in life.

How your dog interacts with you is determined during puppyhood. What puppy does now is what he or she will likely do later.  So, don’t allow your puppy to do things (because he is cute) which will be unacceptable when he or she becomes a dog.

Layla

Simone’s Upcoming Puppy Obedience Class:

Wednesday, April 25^th

Adventure Den, 33 East 3^rd Avenue, Vancouver BC

http://ohmydog-training.com/

Benefits of the Dog Beach

An outdoor “club for canines” helps puppies and dogs get much needed exercise running and playing with each other. Happy (and tired) dogs are then less likely to display problem behaviours such as barking excessively, destroying property or jumping on passers-by.

Dog beaches help owners keep fit and also have been proven to elevate their emotional state.

They provide opportunities for pet owners to socialize as well and help bring people together through their common bond. Dogs help shy people “break the ice”.

Finally, the most valuable benefit of a dog beach is giving our dogs a space to be wild and free, running off-leash with other canines.

All photos taken at McDonald Beach in Richmond, BC. A long, rugged stretch of beach surrounded by off-leash walking trails.

Jude & Stephanie

Stephanie is a geologist who travels the world and Jude is her four year old, Labrador, Terrier, Doberman mix.

What do you like best about Jude’s personality?

Jude is so cute and submissive. She loves to roll over and show her belly when she meets new dogs. She has a very friendly nature and gets along with every dog she encounters. She also gets along well with people, and she has a particular fondness for homeless people. She loves them and they love her! Jude was a hit when she lived near the Downtown Eastside, running up to street people to be petted and making them laugh with her antics.

If Jude had a profession what would she be?

Full-time therapist and part-time clown

If Jude were famous who would she be?

Owen Wilson

Farewell Joey

Sadly, one of Nicky’s daycare friends recently passed away. His name was Joey, a Yorkie, about to turn 13 years old on June 10th. He will be very missed by all who knew him.

Joey was in amazing shape for his age and enjoyed the long walks around the West End that are part of the daily routine at Bow Wow Haus Daycare. Joey especially loved to visit Beaver Lake in Stanley Park. Beaver Lake is a Vancouver destination favoured by local canines as it is home to many, delicious-looking ducks. Joey loved to prop himself up on the lake’s side-rail so he could better see all of the ducks paddle by.

Heading to Beaver Lake

Sometimes, when the walks were a little too long for a 12 year old doggie, Joe would retire to his special tote bag. He would then be carried back to the store, taking in all of the sounds, sights and smells of the West End. Joey was very loved by his guardians and Sofia, and has been described as living the life of a rock star.

Joey’s guardians, with a few friends and family, had a memorial for him at his beloved Beaver Lake last weekend. They finished the ceremony by sprinkling his ashes in the water.

Joey will now forever be in his favourite place, swimming with the ducks of Beaver Lake.

Rest in Peace Little Joe

Dog Beach Q & A

Q: How can I become more popular at the Dog Beach?

A: Bring liver treats!

It works every time.

Food Aggression Q & A

Halfway through Nicky’s morning walk I noticed he was madly sniffing and foraging in the grass near the sidewalk. As I walked over to check out what was going on, I heard a loud crunching sound coming from my little dog. Nickster was furiously trying to eat a found bone before I could snatch it away. As I put my hand down to take this treasure away from him he transformed, in front of my eyes, from my sweet, little Nicky into a wild dingo! He had crazy eyes, let out a couple of shrieking barks and growls and then bit my hand as hard as he could. Oouuchhh!

I walked him home with two fang marks in my hand, thinking “This has got to stop”! Luckily I have worked with an awesome trainer, Simone of “Oh my Dog!” training and I gave her a call to help me with Nickster’s food aggression.

http://www.ohmydog-training.com/

Simone’s advice for dealing with food aggression:

No more free feeding (leaving a bowl of food out for a dog to eat as he pleases). Feed  your dog from your hand only. This will re-inforce your position as a leader and remind your dog that food comes from you.

Re-instate your alpha role. Remind your dog that you are the leader and the leader decides who eats first, who walks through a door first, etc.

After practicing leadership consistently for a few weeks your dog will start to see you as the alpha/leader and no longer defy you when he doesn’t get his own way.

Look out Nickster, you little outlaw. Things are about to change!

Easter Begg

Three Dog Bakery is hosting a fun  Easter event this Saturday in Port Moody. There will be an easter egg hunt in an enclosed area at their Port Moody store with 2,000 dog treats! Registration is $5.00 and all proceeds go to the Coquitlam Animal Rescue. A great cause and a fun time for dogs who love to sniff out a scent!

 

Skippy & John

John with Skippy in their backyard. Burlington, Ontario – 1969

Skippy was John’s childhood dog. He was thought to be a mix of Collie and German Sheppard but John is pretty sure that Skippy’s parents were mixes too. Oh well, mystery dogs are the best kind!

He was named after “Skippy the Bush Kangaroo”http://www.classicaustraliantv.com/Skippy.htm . Since John was an only child, his dog was both his loyal companion and best friend; always happy and excited to see him walk through the door after school.

Skippy suffered from epilepsy and had seizures every once in awhile. He recovered quickly from them though and, despite his illness managed to live a long and happy life.

Rest in Peace Skippy. A beautiful dog and a loyal friend.

“The only thing wrong with dogs is that they do not live long enough.” – Bob Taylor