Ebony walks in view of the snowy San Bernadino Mountains

Ebony LOVES her walks wherever she goes. 

Why Dogs Pull on the Leash

While our greyhounds have good leash manners, we also sometimes walk a pair of dogs who pull on the leash, making a walk unpleasant; so  I want to share this tip from a the Daily Dog Tip.

TODAY´S TIP: BEHAVIOR & TRAINING

December 1, 2010

Why Dogs Pull on the Leash

by Tammy Reinarz, Owner, Tammy's Dog Training Service


     Dogs pull for various reasons. But the simplest explanation is this: we keep following them, allowing them to lead us around by the leash. If we keep following, the immediate connection is this - them pulling on the leash equals person moving. Pulling on the leash is irrelevant to the size of the leash, so you get no brownie points for a dog that is pulling by your side. A dog will use the pressure on the collar to signal when you should move. You are, in essence, training them to pull you around.

One of the steps for getting a dog to stop is to teach him that pulling you will immediately make you stop walking. Patience is your friend in this. The walk will continue when there is no pressure felt on the leash or collar.

Tammy Reinarz, CPDT-KA and a Professional Member of the APDT, has been training dogs of all breeds within the Central PA area since 2005.
Add a comment | See all Behavior & Training tips

WAG for greyhound adoption; what a handsome Santa!

Isn't this a handsome Santa?

El Gato the "Christmas" Horse

Greyhound opening Christmas Milkbones

Who needs hands? When there is a yummy reward, the job will get done!

Katherine Ginzton teaches riders of all ages.

Katherine Ginzton teaches riders of all ages.
We gathered to celebrate the Christmas holiday 2010 at the home of the Toms'.

Rose Bowl Riders Christmas party 2010

 

Thanks to the Toms' we enjoyed a warm, friendly Christmas party.  

Katherine Ginzton has a great group of girls she teaches at Rose Bowl Riders.

How to read your dog

How to read your dog

Ivory was bored

We returned to find a mess in the family room.  I guess Ivory was bored!  Is this typical greyhound behavior?

Hottest horseman of 2010

Hottest horseman of 2010
Eligible bachelor; single horseman.

I just Christmas shopped at Equestrian Collections!

Save time and money by shopping at Equestrian Collections!

Animals of YouTube sing "Deck the Halls"

Oh so cute himalayan kitten.

Does it get any cuter than this?

Watch Out for Holiday Dog Hazards

Ten household holiday items that could potentially harm dogs and other pets.

Decorations may set the perfect mood this holiday season, but ornaments, tinsel, and other items can be a recipe for disaster for your furry family members. Veterinarians recommend keeping animals separated from dangerous items in your home, such as the following:
People food and table scraps. “The biggest problems we see over the holidays are emergencies related to table scraps,” explains Dr. David Bessler, emergency medicine clinician at NYC Veterinary Specialists. “Whenever we gather for large family meals, we love to include our pets as part of the family. Great idea, but do it right! Dogs should not be fed fatty ‘people-food’ – not because it will make them fat, but because it can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and pancreatitis, an often fatal disease which claims the lives of thousands of dogs every year.”
Bones. “There is no safe bone,” Bessler says. “Chicken bones, cooked or uncooked, beef bones, and fish bones have all killed dogs. Bones get stuck in the esophagus, stomach, and intestines, and can poke through the walls of those organs, meaning almost certain death. To those people who say, ‘but dogs eat bones in the wild!’ I say, ‘Bones kill dogs in the wild, too.’ A bone that fits down the throat of a wolf does not fit down the throat of a Yorkie.”
Cords and tree lights. Electrocution is prevalent in young animals, such as puppies or kittens, who are more apt to explore objects by mouthing or chewing objects such as electrical cords and tree lights.
Real Christmas trees. “A lot of pet owners are choosing to go with artificial trees,” says Dr. Sonja Olson, head of emergency services at Florida Veterinary Specialists. “It’s not that real Christmas trees are toxic to pets, but tree needles can be irritating and extremely harmful to pets’ digestive tracts when swallowed. Pets also like to drink tree water, which may sort of taste like tea, but it can also be harmful to their digestive tracts, so people have to be sure to cover up the tree water and keep pets from drinking it.”
Ornaments. “The glass tree ornaments look like regular toys to dogs, so they’ll bite into them and get a mouth full of glass,” Bessler says.
Chocolate. “It’s always best to keep a pet away from chocolate,” Bessler says. While it takes a large amount of milk chocolate to make an animal sick, dark chocolate is 10 times more poisonous than milk chocolate.
Potpourri. “Potpourri and especially the oil-based potpourri people often burn over a flame can be very harmful to pets,” says Olson. “Cats will lick it off of their paws and ingest it. This type of oil is a very significant irritant when ingested. It’s important to make sure our pets stay far away from any kind of potpourri.”
Plants. While many holiday plants are not fatally poisonous to animals, poinsettias and holly can cause mouth irritation, drooling, vomiting and diarrhea.
Bread dough and yeast. Dogs may sneak some bread dough meant for holiday treats. In the process of rising, the dough expands in the stomach and the yeast produces ethanol. This can lead to severe problems including alcohol poisoning, stomach distension, and potential bloat.
Tinsel. “Cats will play with tinsel and eat it,” Bessler says. The problem is it can become impacted in their intestines. “Sometimes the strings can cause their intestines to get bunched up into a knot. And, if the problem continues, it can actually saw through the intestines.”
Keeping your dog’s safety and well-being in mind can help ensure that all members of your family have a happy holiday!
Posted 2007 at dogchannel.com

Myth #7: I canʼt tell that my animal is feeling or moving any better, so the massage must not have worked.

There are many reasons that the benefits of

a massage may not be obvious right away.

For example, there may be some

inflammation from an injury or arthritis

causing pain that is still affecting how your

animal moves, even if many benefits were

accomplished. Most pain or movement

issues that we or our animals may want

help with have happened over a number of

days, months and often years. It would be a

lot to expect one or two massages to “fix”

it, although this can happen sometimes.

More often, you should expect noticeable

progress to take two or three massages, or

more, as well as other forms of treatment

such as chiropratic, acupuncture, or medication. Other treatments are often

complementary to massage, and vice versa.

Taking action towards preventing a recurrence of the problem is also

important. This could mean any number of things, such as changing

something about an activity that is causing repetitive stress injuries,

changing nutrition and/or weight, or providing regular maintenance

bodywork to alleviate the stresses that inevitably do accumulate.

Copyright © 2010 All About Animal Massage

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Of course, if you're not noticing positive effects after two or three sessions,

massage, or that particular style of massage at least, may not be the (only)

solution for your animal's current needs. Meanwhile, you should certainly be

consulting with you veterinarian if there are acute problems such as

lameness, injury or illness.

Myth #8: If “location x” is where it hurts, then thatʼs where you must focus the massage to help.

There are two reasons that massage

attention in other areas of the body may

be more helpful than where it hurts at the

moment.

1. If there is current inflammation and

acute pain in an area, many massage

techniques would simply irritate the area

further and be counterproductive, or even

outright harmful. (However, some

techniques, such as lymphatic drainage

massage or acupressure, may still be

quite helpful!)

2. Very often the location of pain is not the location of the restriction that is

causing the pain. That is, a tightness or an adhesion, some form of a

restriction somewhere else in the body, may be (and likely is) pulling on

"neighbors", resulting in pain where sensitive structures are being stressed

by the pull. Over time, the patterns of tension, along with the body's efforts

to compensate, can create very elaborate and unique patterns of restriction.

This means that any pain could potentially have it's root cause virtually

anywhere in the body, and part of the process of receiving bodywork over

time is unraveling these layers that eventually led to the symptoms. (Why

don't the symptoms just appear right away? Because we and our animals, are

so good at compensating and adapting. Much more on this in Chapter 4:

Adaptation vs. Healing in The Dog Lover's Guide to Massage and The Horse

Lover's Guide to Massage.)

Myth #6: Sure, go ahead and try massage. It couldnʼt hurt....

While massage is not likely to do harm, it most certainly can. Generally,

people who believe that it can't are also not aware of how powerfully it can

affect the body for good. And anything with that kind of power can

potentially cause harm, too, if not used appropriately. This is just like

medicine, which can either heal or poison, depending on how it's used and

also on the condition of the person who takes it.

Copyright © 2010 All About Animal Massage

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So the two factors for whether

massage will do good or harm

are,

A. how massage is applied,

and

B. the condition of the animal

(or person) receiving it.

Here are a few easy tips to help

you avoid causing harm for either of these reasons.

1. The changes caused by massage for the circulatory and neurological

systems in particular, can be harmful if your animal has a fever or is in

a state of shock. Do not massage in these situations.

2. Applying massage strokes or stretches too quickly can lead to damage

of tissue before your animal has a chance to communicate with you

about something that hurts.

3. Listen to your animal's feedback. If they don't like something, stop.

This will help you avoid most problems, but there are some important

exceptions to keep in mind. If your animal is too ill, emotionally shut

down and/or trained to politely endure whatever you do to it, you may

not get accurate feedback. On the other hand, many animals will

protest or try to avoid things that are not necessarily causing harm, but

may be uncomfortable or just plain unfamiliar to them, or the touch

may trigger an unpleasant memory. In these cases, if you stop what

they don't seem to like, you will safely avoid causing harm, a very

good thing, although you may also miss an opportunity to help with

some more healing for a problem area. Persisting when your animal is

unsure is a very fine line to walk, and training and experience

becomes much more important. When in doubt, an appointment with a

professional may be just thing to help you get more accomplished

with massage while avoiding doing any harm.

Because massage does have very real physiological effects on the body,

professional massage therapists receive training about contraindications

(when not to massage) and precautions (when and how to adapt the massage

for certain conditions). You can read more about this in Animal Massage: A

Consumer Guide, as well as in Chapter 6: Guidelines for Effectiveness and

Copyright © 2010 All About Animal Massage

Safety, in The Dog Lover's Guide to Massage and The Horse Lover's Guide

to Massage. You can also usually find information on contraindications and

precautions in any book on massage for animals or for people, though some

situations may be specific to one or the other.

While it's important to be aware that massage can indeed cause harm,

remember that as long as your animal is in good health and you're listening

to their feedback, you have little to worry about. If your animal is not in

good health, just ask your vet about whether and how massage might still be

used to support their comfort and wellness. (But if your vet says, "Sure, go

ahead and try massage. It couldn't hurt."

The Amazon Rainforest offers a healthy alternative to harsh chemicals for flea and tick control.

Would you like to offer your pet a healthy defense against fleas?

An amazing dog/cat relationship....ENJOY!

Need inspiration? Enjoy the warm and fuzzy lovers.

Zenyatta Vs. The Best

Did you ever wonder how Zenyatta would do running with the best of the best of all time? Enjoy this simulation!

Do your dogs spin?

Ivory, if you can't run fast, you can run in place.

Myth #5: Massage is a luxury that may feel good, but doesnʼt have lasting benefits.

It's true that massage can serve very well as a luxurious indulgence for yourself or for your pet. I've been thankful for this great benefit a few times myself : ) It's also true though, that massage and other forms of bodywork

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Copyright © 2010 All About Animal Massageoffer many health benefits that last well beyond the day of the massage. In fact, some benefits don't even become apparent till a day or two later, because the body needs time to respond and adapt to the releases that happened during the session.

For a list of some health benefits offered by massage, please visit http:// AllAboutAnimalMassage.com . You can also check out these links to many

research articles documenting massage benefits. Most of these studies have been done with human massage rather than for animals, though the first in the list you'll find is on back pain in horses. The other research information is still useful for animals, since our physiology, or how the body works, is virtually identical when it comes to how the body responds to massage. In my books, The Dog Lover's Guide to Massage and The Horse Lover's Guide to Massage, you'll find a chapter on "How Massage Works" that describes much of this physiology in everyday language. I include descriptions of how massage helps by freeing restrictions and adhesions in muscles, balancing the skeletal structure (through working with connective tissue), stimulating the immune system, affecting proprioception, influencing the nervous (neurological) system, and supporting the circulatory system. Some of these mechanisms are also more briefly described in my free e-book, Animal Massage: A Consumer Guide.

For many individuals, human and animal, massage and bodywork is no luxury at all, but a necessity that can keep them (more) sound, healthy and comfortable. For others it's less necessary, but no less beneficial. And in addition to the direct health benefits, regular massage can also result in earlier detection of potential health problems, catching them as they develop when conditions are easier to control or even reverse.

Hollywood Park • Details Finalized For Zenyatta Appreciation Day

I would love to attend this!
Anyone else interested?
Hollywood Park • Details Finalized For Zenyatta Appreciation Day: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

All truth goes through 3 stages:

Remember the words of German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer who, 200 years ago, said all truth goes through three stages:

• First it is ridiculed
• Then it is violently opposed
• Finally it is widely accepted as self evident

Myth #4: My animal isnʼt working hard right now, so thereʼs no point in a massage.

Myth #4: My animal isnʼt working hard right now, so thereʼs no point in a massage.

While it's true that hard work and athletic activity is a great reason to offer your pet or horse a massage, there are also many benefits for less active animals. In fact, in some cases it may be especially useful during these times. Regular and vigorous exercise offers all of us many important health benefits, but sometimes it doesn't seem to happen for stretches of time, for whatever reason. (I know I've been feeling the consequences of this lately, and my body is definitely feeling the difference!) These exercise benefits help not only our muscles and joints, but also our organs and immune system, not to mention our mental and emotional well-being.

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Copyright © 2010 All About Animal MassageReasons for lack of activity might be due to:

• an injury, illness or surgery • advanced age • the weather or season • or the busy schedule of the

owner or trainer

Massage is one way to offer your animal some of the same health benefits during times that exercise is limited. If your animal is healthy and simply inactive, the massage may be quite similar to their usual massage. During times of recovery from injuries and illnesses, or for older animals, special techniques and modalities may be used instead of or in addition to more standard massage. For example, your massage therapist may have special training to work with scar tissue or areas of swelling. He or she may also be able to offer techniques such as acupressure or Reiki during times that regular massage may be contraindicated (not appropriate).

Whether you'd like to offer therapeutic touch for your animal, or enlist the support of a professional, or both, remember that some form of touch is almost always beneficial. The question is which techniques are going to be most helpful (and not cause harm) for your animal's unique needs. I encourage you to explore the answer to this question throughout your animal's life, whatever their level of activity. I'm sure you'll find it a rewarding and educational adventure!

Why use massage for animals?

All About Animal Massage

Just a Pigeon crossing the street

Myth #3: If my animal isnʼt yawning and falling asleep, the massage isnʼt working.

This myth is the flip side of the "no pain, no gain" misconception. It's true that relaxation is generally a positive sign that good things are happening. However, I'll give you three thoughts to consider before you decide to use this as a way to judge the effects of a massage.

1. Sometimes important healing processes can be temporarily uncomfortable: physically, mentally or emotionally. A relaxing "sleepy-time" massage may offer certain benefits, but also in some cases be a missed opportunity for addressing deeper issues.

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Copyright © 2010 All About Animal Massage2. Your animal may be experiencing positive physical effects that might normally make him or her feel a little sleepy, but may be kept alert by something in the environment, or by their expectations of

something about to happen (like a meal or playtime).

3. One form of massage used commonly by athletes (human and animal) is to help prepare the body for physical exertion. This is known as "pre-event sports massage," which can not only help optimize performance, but also reduce the risk of injury. Putting the athlete to sleep would not, in most cases, help their performance!

So as you can see, it's important to consider the goal for each individual massage, and also to be observant of the environment and the animal's perspective. Yawns and deep relaxation are just two of many signs that a massage is "working."

Animal massage: 2 Myth #2: No pain, no gain.

This myth is probably especially common when people are thinking about massage for themselves, but some apply the same idea to therapy for their animals. (It's a myth either way, whatever the species.) The fact is, most massage benefits can and should be achieved without inflicting pain.

Does this mean all pain is bad? No. Some pain may, at times, be necessary to accomplish a worthwhile "release," or therapeutic shift. But this is more the exception than the rule, and the practitioner must be highly skilled and accurate to reduce risk of damage in the process. Yes, damage is possible with massage and bodywork. That's one reason those without advanced skills and experience should avoid moves that the animal (or human) responds to with a defensive pain reaction.

While many benefits can be accomplished with zero pain or discomfort, some therapeutic effects fall somewhere in between. You may already be familiar with the "hurts so good" sensation, where there's some discomfort, but at the same time the body is still wanting the work because it knows a positive process is happening. You may see the animal really "tune in" and focus. They may go through moments of agitation, but then return to the inward focus and eventually display a clear sign of release and relaxation. So although it's not always true, a better rule of thumb for massage would be... Pain? No gain!