Thursday

Dog missing 3 months turns up in another state - TODAY Pets & Animals - TODAY.com

Jim Arrighi last saw Petey, his 4-year-old Jack Russell terrier, in the backyard of his Erin, Tenn., home.

That was in July, and the 73-year-old retired electrician had nearly given up on seeing his pet again when he learned the dog turned up safe about 500 miles away in suburban Detroit.

A Michigan Humane Society volunteer was expected to return Petey to Arrighi Thursday morning.

Jack the cat found alive at JFK

"This is just a little town and everybody is buzzing about it," said Arrighi's daughter, Tyanne Morrison.

Most of Erin's roughly 7,000 residents know one another, and many of them would recognize Petey, which is why Arrighi, Morrison and their friends suspect he was pooch-napped by an out-of-towner.

Morrison believes Petey left his yard "and somebody picked him up."

"We searched. We knew someone had gotten him," she told The Associated Press by phone on Wednesday. "We got on 4-wheelers and went all over the area. There had been some more dogs over the last few months that were missing."

From Colorado to NYC: Willow the cat reunited with family after 5-year odyssey






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Dog missing 3 months turns up in another state - TODAY Pets & Animals - TODAY.com

Monday

Claim your space

Dogs know that the pack leader has an area of space that is his/hers.  Dogs are amenable to this but they do they will test these boundaries until the Pack Leader claims there space.  It is an interesting concept and goes hand and hand with the idea of energy projection.  Our energy state is how we communicate with our pack.  If we are calm-assertive we can create our own space without saying a word.  The dogs in our pack will get a sense of energy that says this is my line in the sand, don't cross it or you will be violating the rules of the pack leader.  As we have mentioned before, dogs do not want to violate pack rules because instinctively they know order in the pack is necessary for their survival. 

So then why is it so hard for people to claim their space? 
The main reason is energy projection.  If we are not in the calm-assertive mode, our dogs will not feel secure, stable or deferential to us as the leader.  They will automatically sense a void or a vacuum in the leadership role.  The result is predictable.  Dogs value a stable pack, they need this structure to feel safe and secure.  One of the dogs will usually act out in more dominent ways or become more agitated with the other dogs.  However, if we are in the right state of mind, projecting the calm-assertive energy that brings the firmness of structure to the pack, claiming your space will be a mere formality.  It take a little longer with a puppy but they will catch on very quickly too. 

The way to claim your space is simple once your energy is calm-assertive.  If your intent is to move your dog out of your space you need to stand up tall, facing the dog.  At times you can use a stick or a tennis racket or anything to extend your arm length.  This is not to hit the dog or hurt the dog in anyway, it is just easier to calm the dog down once he feels he is "locked in" the space right in front of you.  Some dogs will resist and turn sides, some will sit and aquese, some will growl, but eventually most will lay down and relax and accept the boundary.  You can gradually move closer to the dog until he gets the message that you are the pack leader and you are claiming your space. 

On rare circumstances dogs may try to bite or nip at you in resistance but if you are in the right state of mind and you are doing it with your own dog, a dog that you are familiar with, you should get a postive result. It will take repetition and have to be done each time your dog enters your space uninvited but after a few time it will be all over. 

Information for this article was taken from the book "The Power of Calm-Assertive Energy-How It Can Make You The Pack Leader" .  The books discusses how to be a pack leader to your dogs and how to apply the power of calm assertive energy to your daily life. 

Sunday

Dogs can help you stay on course in life

Dog training is really a study in human psychology.  If you understand that we are all just bits and pieces of energy made up in the form of a human you will understand that everything we come into contact with will feel our energy.  The energy that we project has an enormous influence on how we interact with life.  If we are calm-assertive around our dogs, our dogs will be happy and calm in return.  They will gladly follow our lead.
  
This principal also applies to life in general notjust dog training.  Everyone has had one of those days when something is bothering you or upsetting you and it seems like on thing after another goes wrong and finally when you get off work you relax and regroup and just call it a bad day.  Well there some theories that say we are either attracting repulsing that which we want or don't want through our energy projection or commonly referred to as vibration. If you can grasp this concept then you will have a great time being Pack Leader because your dogs will be the best form of feed back you can find. Your dogs are worth 10 times more than a life coach or a personal assistant because they will give you the instant and accurate feedback that will keep you calm and assertive.  When in this state your vibration will be at a level that is in harmony with the universe and all good things will flow to you.  It is within your power to create the vibration that will attract all that you desire.  You can do it with a little help from your pack.  Your pack will love it when you are the best Pack Leader you can be and they will behave accordingly.  They are your compass that will guide your to a better feeling way of life.  You will be practicing the Laws of Attraction everyday and you will know when you are off course because your dogs will be the instant feedback that will alert you to check your state of mind and get back to the powerful pack leader energy of calm-assertive living.

Saturday

Be Pack leader and still learn from your dogs


You can get a lot of help from your dogs.  Your dogs will instinctively protect their pack from instability.  They will also instinctively protect their calm-assertive pack leader from this negative energy.  Most stable dogs know that stability of the pack is essential for their survival.  Dogs can not be constantly fighting for dominance or breaking from the pack routine.  For thousands of years dogs have used their innate ability to live within a stable pack as an advantage over less successful species.  This should make it clear that dogs understand the importance of being in a pack and the importance of keeping the pack healthy.  They also understand the importance of the pack leader and will go to great lengths to keep the pack leader safe and free to lead.
It was such a long day following the Pack Leader


You can see behavior like this often at the dog park or in your home when bringing an unstable dog into the mix.  The other dogs will rally around the pack leader and warn the unstable dog.  Often it is just do that is unfamiliar with the pack rules and how to approach and interact with the pack.  Certain dogs, especially younger ones, tend to be unschooled in back etiquette but tend to learn quickly if the other dogs are persistent.

The biggest obstacle I have seen lately when taking I try to be pack leader for my dogs and the dog park is the dogs staring each other down through the fence.  For some dogs it seems to be a territorial thing and for others more fun or play when they race up and down the on each side of fence.  It is a challenge to get certain dogs to pay attention to the pack leader when when there are dogs to run with on the other side of the fence. 


I also have noticed that a recent addition to my pack tends to become more playful and a bit more aggressive at the dog park.  He is young and loves to play but has yet to take his well adjusted in home pack behavior to the park.  I am working on keeping him a bit more calm and more focused on me rather than all of the smells, sounds and other dogs.  It is taking a while but I am seeing progress daily and soon expect him to be fully adjusted and enjoying calm yet fun trips to the dog park. 

Friday

Do your dogs fight over food?

I have heard many people talk about their dogs as such beautiful, loving and loyal dogs until they get to the subject of feeding.  Often the look of terror comes in to their as as they think about dinner time for their puppies.  For some reason this is a common problem in households with more than one dog.  The strange thing is that it happens even when the dogs have been raised by one family and have always had ample food to eat. 
It is easy to understand how aggression can be an outcome if dogs are deprived of food or have had to fight to get enough food.  But for some reason even well fed and well nurtured dogs become food aggressive to the point of fighting with their pack members.  Some food aggressive dogs may even nip at their owner.  Of course this is not a good sign if your dog is threatening you, the pack leader, with exposed teeth and growls no matter what they are protecting. 

This is behavior that need to be addressed as soon as possible regardless of the dog may be protecting their food.  It can lead to dangerous situations down the road if anyone tried to come between the dog and food.





One way to address the issue is to place multiple bowls of food out.  You don't want to put more food out but just divide it up into several bowls if you have 2 or more dogs.  This will often relieve some of the tension from the dogs knowing that their are more places to eat.  This is the best way to start because it is a very simple solution.  If this doesn't work then we go on to plan B but I think this will solve the problem most of the time.

GET A GUIDE TO DOG SYMPTOMS FROM PETPLACE IS HERE

Wednesday

Be Pack Leader and Still Love your Dog


Be Pack Leader and still love your dog. 

You can be pack leader and still feel as though you are being kind and loving to your dog.  By being a good pack leader you will be making life more enjoyable and less stressful for all of your pets.  Dogs are born to follow a calm-assertive pack leader.  We are the given that role by default since we are the dog’s owner.  However, just because we are given this role, it doesn’t necessarily mean we know how to fill those shoes. 
Bobo

Most of the time people expect dogs to come home and automatically wish for a pet that will be obedient, loyal, loving and affectionate immediately.  It usually doesn’t happen without a setting some rules and boundaries.  In order to have a stable dog, stable pack and to Be Pack Leader it is important to set the tone that you are the top dog.  You show you are pack leader by being calm-assertive and by always considering the welfare of your pack.  This behavior will go a long way toward building trust with your dog.  You want to build trust with your dog and through trust you will be building a mutual respect for each other.  This also is the way to create a great bond with you pack.  Dogs want to follow and we just have to lead the way for them.  
Bobo and Sammy after a swim

Bringing home a puppy is no small challenge. If you have other dogs at home it is always a little nerve racking to bring home another one.  On occasion some dogs are not overly accepting of the new pack member.  This happens a lot if you have had only one dog for several years.  Dogs get used to flying solo and they get used to being the sole attention getter as well.  But with your guidance and acceptance you can have everyone getting along just fine.  The most important part is to remain the calm-assertive leader expecting that everyone will get along well.  

If you want to be pack leader it is up to you to keep these things that you should keep in mind as you work and play with your dogs.



Monday

Your Dogs know

A perfect dog pack
Your dogs will let you know if one of your pack members are unstable.  You can tell just by their actions because dogs want to be calm and get along in harmony regardless of the breed.  You should always be aware of your pet being a dog first, then the breed second.  There is a lot of unhealthy information that has permeated the psyche of our culture that creates tremendous fear toward certain dog breeds.

The most well know example is the Pit Bull.  It is quite common for people to become frightened just by the mention of the breed and if they happen to see one or be near one many people will automatically walk away.  The funny thing is that statistics show that Labradors bite more people than any other breed.  It may be just because they are the most popular breed but I think there is more to it than something that simple.

For example consider that it is not legal to even own a Pit Bull in the city of Denver, Colorado.  I found this out recently and was shocked on one had but not surprised on the other hand.  It is a shame that such a loyal breed has gotten such a horrible reputation over the years.
Doesn't she look comfortable?

As I was saying before your pack will let you know if one your dogs is unstable.  I brought a new dog into my pack and he is full of energy, still somewhat of a puppy, and my other dogs have taken after him when he starts getting too hyper.  They do not bite him or attack him but they use their herding skills to roll him over a few times with a well timed nose to the hand quarters. 

Watch your dogs closely and you will get many free lessons in pack behavior and on how to deal with instability in your dogs.