DOODLE SOCIAL

With Rain come Dangerous Mushrooms

Please be aware of this hazard in the parks
Can you help to spread the word that the Amanita phalloides, the death cap mushroom, has come out in full force since the rains started. We had one death at Lake 2 weekends ago, and PETS emergency clinic in Berkeley called on Friday and said they have had 3 deaths in 6 days - all from the Oakland area.

The mushrooms have a sweet odor (like honey) and are attractive to some dogs (whose owners report they actually seek them out to eat them). They are really non descript little white mushrooms.

The toxic effects appear about 6-36 hours after the mushrooms are eaten, and once signs are seen the toxicity is poorly responsive to treatment (we try a lot of things to support the animal, but if enough mushrooms were eaten it will be fatal despite the treatment).

If someone suspects their dog may have eaten a mushroom, the best treatment is to take the dog immediately to a vet or emergency clinic and have them induce vomiting and give activated charcoal. The mushroom toxin is absorbed fairly rapidly, but the damage to the liver can take hours before it is clinically apparent. Don't waste time trying to figure out if the mushroom is toxic as speed in removing the mushroom from the digestive system is the most important thing in my experience.

Here is a link with some pictures
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_phalloides

Metro Dog Thanks Lake Veterinary Hospital for this Bulletin

Santa Hats

Shake it Up! The Dangers of Being Too Consistent with Your Dog

Shake it Up! The Dangers of Being Too Consistent with Your Dog

By Jess Rollins
Copyright Info

Have you been told how important it is to be consistent with your new dog? To feed and walk them at similar times every day? This is popular advice and it is excellent for a new dog that you have adopted that needs to learn that he or she is safe in it's new home, but following a predictable schedule with your dog can actually contribute to increasing anxiety rather than the reverse!

For most people once their dog is comfortable in the home (which generally takes a few weeks) it is important to vary the dog's schedule including feeding times, exercise times and alone time. You may have already learned how important this is by trying to change something in your dog's life that you have inadvertently been too predictable about. Say for example needing to fast your dog for a meal for a veterinary procedure or test. Your dog may pace and whine and paw at you, wondering "why oh why" is the food not coming on schedule!? Which brings me to the importance of varying feeding times and even what you feed (which is another topic). I even recommend skipping a meal on your dog every so often (say, once per month). It is especially good to do when your dog has a bit of an upset tummy.

It's okay to skip a day of physical exercise too (maybe once per week). You may want to give more chewies, food-dispensing toys or spend time training tricks that day if your dog is high energy.

It is also important to make sure your dog experiences different environments, people and dogs so that he continues to feel safe when he visits them. Generally, people know to do lots of socialization with puppies but then we forget about our adult dogs. If we don't keep up with socialization our adult dogs will eventually become less comfortable in these situations, so it is a good idea to get off the beaten path as much as you can. Remember to take it slow with a dog who is worried and use lots of positive reinforcement for good behavior.

What about training? Professional trainers know how important it is to avoid being predictable in training. If you always feed your dog a dry biscuit when he comes when you call, he may decide that running free at park trumps a dry biscuit and decide not to come to you, but if he never knows when you might spring that nice juicy piece of hotdog on him he may be more likely to come. Similarly, if you always call your dog to you after asking him to "stay", your dog is not likely to anticipate you calling him and be less likely to stay put. So you can vary that with coming back to him to give him his treat.

Does your dog always sleep in your bed? If so you may want to get your dog used to sleeping in another spot just in case you do not want him or her there at some point. Keeping your dog flexible about sleeping spots will help to prevent anxiety when you want to change the arrangement. Can your dog sleep in a crate if needed? This is a great skill for a dog to have since he or she may need it one day for veterinary care or travel. Click here to brush up on your crate training skills.

How about your schedule? Are you away and home for the same amount of time each day? Perhaps your dog gets anxious if you are late coming home? Try to add some variety to that as well if possible.

The idea is to add enough variety into the schedule so the dog things "oh, this is no big deal" when things don't go as they usually do. If your dog is getting very upset about adding variety into his or her schedule that means you will need to take baby steps in the changes you make.

Our little dog Ollie loves to spend every waking moment with us and since I work from home he can almost do that. So for him, it is important to make sure he has enough practice being alone since there will be times (say, when we are on vacation or go to a special event) that he will have to be on his own. When I noticed Ollie was becoming "overbonded" and getting anxious when alone, I decided no more constant lap time, some time gated away from us and sleeping in a different room from us was in order. I do my best to make it fun and easy for him by giving him yummy chew toys that he doesn't get at other times.

If your dog gets extremely anxious when you try to vary his schedule in this way to the point you feel "locked - in" to the dog's schedule and unable to alter it due to your life's needs, you may want to contact a positive trainer or a veterinary behaviorist for help.

Metro Dog News

METRO DOG NEWS October 30, 2009 Volume 1 issue 1

The heart of Metro Dog is YOU… It really does take a village to raise a dog. We are grateful to be a part of your dog families. Your support has helped us to continue to grow through these uncertain times. Your dogs are our teachers. We pride ourselves on being responsive to their changing needs. If there is something that we are, or are not, doing that would make a difference for you, please tell us. Your feedback informs us and gives us the opportunity to learn and grow.

Holiday Reservations Update: Metro Dog fills up fast during the holidays. Make sure we have a spot for Spot by making your reservation as soon as possible. In order to keep your reservation, we will need you to pay a deposit. Deposits are full payment, calculated as the number of nights you are boarding. You'll pay for extra services, like final days of day care or baths, on the day of your drop-off. We encourage you to look at our Metro Dollar packages to see if buying one will be the best value for your dollar. Our website outlines our cancellation policy for the holidays. Reminders on what to bring: PLEASE do not bring bags of food. Please do put your food in a rigid plastic storage container with a lid. Label the container on all sides with your pup's first/last name, and the am/pm feeding instructions. Please bring ONE article of bedding that smells of home and is clearly labeled with first/last name. If your pup is used to sleeping in a crate, please bring it. We can provide one at your request. Please do not bring something that you would be upset if it was destroyed. You can also download and pre-fill out the Boarding Check-In Form from www.metrodog.com to save time at check-in. If your dog is in a social room, please DO NOT bring toys, bones, or bowls. If your dog is in a Single or Family room, toys and bones (though no raw hide) are fine. Dog walking and Pet Sitting services: It has come to our attention that many of you do not know that we offer dog walking, house visits and pet sitting in your home. We have been offering these services to the community for 9 years and have an excellent reputation. Sometimes, boarding and/or day care is not what you need. Sometimes a group hike, or neighborhood walk, or dinner visit is what serves you best. We care for cats, birds, and all other beasts. Our staff are experienced professionals who are licensed, bonded, and insured. Many of the same faces you see in the Center, in fact. Email or phoning the Center is the best way to make contact for these services. We look forward to serving you!

Social Hour: Metro Dog hosts several social times for different doggie groups. Socials are free. They are opportunities to socialize your pup with compatible others. All members of human families are welcome to join in the fun. Puppy & Not-So-Puppy Social: Held every Sunday from 10-11 am. Pups are grouped based on age. Doodle Social: Calling all doodles. Come and play with your brethren. Check the calendar on the website for the next doodle hour. Old Hound Café: A time for our sage elders to convene in the company of other wise ones. Held once a month. Go to the calendar on our website for the next OH Café. 1 Hour Workshops are also great fun for you and your furry friend Recall! – work on getting that perfect dog who returns to you anywhere anytime. Nail trims and More – home grooming tips from our Groomer Karen Oberdorfer

Metro Dog has a new Photo Gallery Look for pictures of Metro Dogs http://www.flickr.com/photos/metrodog/ Send us your photos! We love looking at pictures of dogs. photos@metrodog.com please put 'Photos' in subject line

Metro Dog 2.0: We are on Facebook! Please become a fan of Metro Dog. The fan page is an open site where you can post your pictures and make comments and status updates. We are excited to have a presence in the social networking world and look forward to seeing you all there.

Metro Dog Training Academy: You've been asking for it for a long time. We are pleased to announce that Alison is now taking private clients. She has been busy building the behavior program at Metro Dog for the past 2 years and unable to do much private training work. She is excited to begin working with dogs and their families on their specific training and behavior needs. She will be utilizing the training team – Diane, Janette, Angel, and Joanna - to help in the sessions with the goal of building a tiered training team so that you can choose the trainer best suited to your personal style, hours, and budget. Please contact the training department, training@metrodog.com, to begin your personal training program.

Your dog might be in it! Many of her photos were taken at Metro Dog. You have seen her photographs all over Metro Dog's walls. Come see Kendra Luck's work in this new book. Maybe find your dog in there. Looking to have some fun with your dog this winter? New Classes in the New Year Rally O – Staff trainer Joanne Czaja is bringing her experience and enthusiasm for Rally Obedience to Metro Dog clients. She has been studying and competing in trials with her dog Ira this past year. Freestyle for Seniors – A cooperative effort between Rachelle and my dog Bone. A special movement class for the less agile dogs. Also great for shy dogs. Agility II - Agility is adding a second level. Our very popular Intro Agility class with Elissa Cline will be adding a continuing class for those who have taken Intro. Tricks – A new fun and interactive class taught by Jacqueline Erbe More to come… In addition to our ongoing Manners and Specialty Classes: Basic Manners 1, 2 and 3- Build a great relationship and reliability with your dog. Small classes and all positive reinforcement methods make this a great course for any dog at any age. Curriculum developed by Alison Smith, CTC head of Behavior and Training for Metro Dog. Taught by Alison or Metro Dog Academy trainers. Intro to Agility - an Introductory Recreational Agility Class held on mats, indoors for you and your dog. We will introduce jumps, tunnels, weaves, contacts in this class. The 6 week class is a nice foundation for those geared to competition as well as for those of you who just want a fun pastime for you and your dog to share. Taught by Elissa Cline. Canine Musical Freestyle -6 week foundation class will focus on creative heeling to music, building attention, sequencing behaviors, and beginning choreography. Whether you decide to perform in competitions, through public demonstrations, or just for your own private dance floor, freestyle is a wonderful activity and a whole lot of FUN!!! Taught by Rachelle Carzino