NEWS YOU CAN USE
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Adopt A Husky, Inc. |
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"Saving one dog won't change the world, but surely the world will change for that one dog." |
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NEWS YOU CAN USE |
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September/October 2006 |
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How to Choose a Dog Trainer? All too often dogs are given up because owners let small, undesirable behaviors escalate into more challenging problems. To avoid unwanted behaviors, be proactive by taking your dog to professional dog training classes. Training your dog can be a fun and rewarding experience for you and your dog. You'll learn how to teach the behaviors you want your dog to do and you'll learn what to do about the undesirable behaviors your dog may already be doing. And at the end of class you'll have a tired pup. A tired pup makes for a happy owner. What to look for in a trainer: A good trainer will use humane training techniques, such as positive reinforcement to reward the desired behavior. A trainer should never hit, yell, alpha roll (forcing the dog on its back), choke, or do anything else that may frighten or harm your dog. Also, you will want to look for a trainer that will use training methods that work for your specific dog and that meet your individual dog's needs. A positive training experience will help ensure that your dog will happily take your commands. How to find a trainer: Start by asking rescue groups, groomer, vet, friend or family member who they would recommend as a trainer. Ask the trainer to provide a couple of references from current clients. Find out how many years the trainer has been training. Remember there is no government agency that licenses dog trainers, and just because a trainer belongs to a dog training association, doesn't mean that the trainer will use humane training techniques. Types of classes: Whether you are interested in training your dog in obedience, rally, agility, etc, you will find that you can take private classes or group classes. Private classes are more expensive, but will give you some one on one time with a trainer to work on a specific problem you may be having. Group classes are more affordable and typically meet an hour once a week for eight weeks. Before signing up for a class, drop in to observe the training techniques used. Look for the following:
Once you've signed up for a class: Take plenty of yummy treats to class to use as rewards and don't feed your dog before class. A dog that is full is less likely to want food as a reward. Practice what you have learned throughout the week, and to prevent your dog from getting bored, only spend about 5-10 minutes. a couple of times a day training. Be consistent and have fun! - Jen, IL Volunteer |
Who says Siberians can't swim? Skye (IL) enjoying one last dip in the pool. |
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MARK YOUR CALENDAR |
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IL EVENTS Sept. 30 Central Bark Doggy Day Care Grand Opening, Chicago, IL Oct. 17-21 Siberian Husky Club of America 2006 Nationals, Rockford, IL OH EVENTS Sept. 23 2nd Annual Oberlin Doggie Doo, Oberlin, OH Oct. 7, 4th Annual Husky Hike, Strongsville, OH |
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HAPPY TAILS |
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Recent fosters that have found their
forever homes. Wisteria (IL) July 21 Stephano (IL) July 21 Galena (WI) July 23 Iris (MO) July 24 Tigris (MO) August 1 Susitna (MO) August 1 Tularosa (IL) August 4 Barkley (MO) August 4 Grace (MN) August 5 Litella (MN) August 6 Flint (MN) August 6 Houston (WI) August 13 Mochi (MN) August 14 McMillan (IL) August 16 Sunset (WI) August 19 Dasher (IL) August 20 Voyager (WI) August 25 Dallas (IL) Sept. 1 Hickory (WI) Sept. 2 Pascagoula (IL) Sept. 8 Wasilla (IL) Sept. 10 Ouachita (MN) Sept. 12 Crosby (WI) Sept. 17 Orlando (MO) Sept. 18 Mirage (WI) Sept. 18 Kuchen (MN) Sept. 23 Laurel (MO) Sept. 23 Nitro (WI) Sept. 24 Poplar (MN) Sept. 24 Lia (MO) Sept. 25 |
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AKC's Canine Good Citizen Program What is the Canine Good Citizen program? Canine Good Citizen is a certification program sponsored by the American Kennel Club (AKC). The Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test is used to certify that a dog is well socialized and has some basic obedience, making both the dog’s owner and the dog good members of the community. Who can participate? Your dog does not have to be a purebred to participate. Any dog can take the test, purebred or mixed. Dogs must be old enough to have received their vaccinations. Since becoming adopted, several former AAHI rescues are now Canine Good Citizens. Just to name a few Skye, Breeze, Dallas, Thelma, Dickens, Naya, Bandit, and Aspen. What are the test requirements? The test consists of 10 parts. Owners can use praise and encouragement during the test and in between exercises, but may not use toys, food or treats as a means of rewarding during the test. Before the test is taken, the owner must sign AKC’s “Responsible Owner Pledge.” The following are the 10 different tests/exercises that your dog will be expected to complete (to read the descriptions for each area click here to be taken to the AKC test items). Test 1: Accept a friendly stranger Test 2: Sitting politely for petting Test 3: Appearance and grooming Test 4: Walking on a loose leash Test 5: Walking through a crowd Test 6: Sit and down on command and staying in place Test 7: Coming when called Test 8: Reaction to another dog Test 9: Reaction to distraction Test 10: Supervised separation from owner Why should your dog be a Canine Good Citizen? Training your dog to be a Canine Good Citizen will teach your dog some well needed basic manners for your dog to be a good member of your family and your community. Training your dog will also help you develop a bond with your dog, and training for the Canine Good Citizen certification will lay the groundwork for other activities, such as agility, obedience, flyball and therapy dog work. Where can you take the Canine Good Citizen test? Check with your trainer or your local training facility. Many trainers offer a Canine Good Citizen class. Other trainers will schedule the CGC test a couple of times a year. You can also search for CGC evaluators on the AKC site. Evaluators can direct you to a training facility to assist you. To learn more talk with your trainer and visit www.akc.org. - Jen, IL Volunteer
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Photos from Allstate's Family Festival on Sept. 16th |
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George (IL) with foster Willo. Willo spent most of the day charming the crowds and asking for tummy rubs. |
Foster dogs, Sundog and Mirage, were out cold after a long day of wooing the crowds. |
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Siberian Huskies
Siberian Huskies, the dog breed of
dog breeds. Those people that wish for a challenge, actually receive
more than they wish for. Siberian Huskies are the desire of those who
want action, activity, and laughter. Some Siberian Huskies can even
make Houdini seem like an amateur.
Most Siberian Huskies have an
extreme ability to perform landscaping tasks. They can dig holes,
rearrange sod and grass, uproot flowers, do gardening, and more. They
can play “Hide and Seek” and can give paw (covered in mud, of course),
sit when they want to, stay when they want to, and speak without being
spoken to.
They can track up your home with
fresh grass clippings, green tomatoes, and yes, even flowers and weeds.
Siberian Huskies don’t distinguish between weeds and flowers, as to a
Siberian, all plants are beautiful. A branch to a Siberian is like a
steak to a human.
Siberian Huskies are killers too.
They attack vacuum cleaners, brooms, mops, and various renegade
household items. A bird feeder is like a “snack” machine to them. It’s
not the feed, it’s the birds. If a Siberian sees a rodent, the rodent
is history. Nature is such a mysterious thing. Siberian Huskies are
even more mysterious.
Why more mysterious? Well, the
Siberian Husky, with all the traits mentioned above, melts its way into
a family. The breed becomes a part of every heart in the household.
I realize everyone has their own
favorite breed. All breeds are favorites in their own right. Owners of
all the different breeds of dogs, have many reasons to say their breed
is the best. I am not trying to establish a Siberian Husky as the
“ultimate breed of dog”. In my experiences of having many different
breeds (Skipper, a Terrier, Robin, a Border Collie, Mert, a Golden
Retriever, Charlie, a Beagle, Gambi, a Toy Poodle, Puffy, a Lhasa Apso,
Mary, Brendy, Siber, Pepper, and Merlin, all Siberian Huskies) I have
found one thing to be true. Every dog is a direct product of how it is
bred, treated, and trained. To class breeds of dogs to be dangerous, is
the folly of a fool. It is the owner of a “bad” dog that is dangerous.
A gun can never harm anyone unless it is loaded, pointed, and fired.
Some dogs are bred, trained, and encouraged to be bad. The dog is
loaded, pointed, and fired, just like a gun. The dog thinks it is doing
what it is supposed to do.
If you plan on adopting a Siberian
Husky, please do this. Consider adopting it as a friend. Treat the dog
as you would want to be treated yourself. Give it love and care,
concern and comfort, lasting the entire life of that friend. The
Siberian Husky will remain in your life forever. You will again see
your friend at “The Bridge”. When you see you friend again, please say
“hello” for me. Someday, I will meet all of you.
- Hal, IL Volunteer
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Foster Spotlight: Sundog, WI Foster Looking for a "Furever" Family |
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Sundog is a 5 year old, male Siberian with a FANTASTIC personality. He is not a barker, but he
will "woo" his entire life story to any human that will listen to him.
Sundog's recent participation at the Allstate Family Festival showed everyone how AWESOME he is with humans of every age, from tiny babies to adults. He sat like a gentleman the entire day, and soaked up all of the ear scratches and pets he could get. Sundog's energy level is moderate, and he does have some basic obedience. He knows sit and give paw. He is also crate trained and housebroken. Sundog is looking for a family that will give him all of the love and attention he deserves. He will make a great addition to any family! |
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| Click here to read Sundog's bio. Interested in adopting a Siberian, please read our adoption process and fill out our online adoption application. | |
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Moving to Singapore . . . Justin, my husband, and I adopted four dogs between the years 2001 to 2003 - Piper, Dakota, Hamilton, and Raven. All but one was a foster failure so it is a good thing we moved to Connecticut in the fall of 2003. As soon as we came comfortable living in New England and our dogs had picked up new hobbies like sledding and carting, we were off on a new adventure… living in Southeast Asia. Moving four dogs halfway around the world was an adventure to say the least. Many thought we were crazy for doing it, but our dogs are our family and when we adopted them we made a lifetime commitment to their care. In the months leading up to our move, I scoured the internet, friends, and family on how I should move the dogs to Singapore. There was not one definitive source for information so I thought I would document my experience in an effort to share what I learned from moving dogs internationally. 1. Planning Start Early. If you have a job which requires an international move or you want to move overseas make sure to do your research. I bought a book and started doing research on the internet to figure out which countries I would be willing to move to based on the country’s pet quarantine rules and pet ownership requirements (some countries only allow 2- 3 dogs per household). Singapore only allows 3 dogs in a residence. In order to have 4 dogs, we had to get a special permit from the government which took 3 months (our first request was denied). If you have this challenge, I found contacting the local SPCA was helpful. I explained my situation to the SPCA director, he explained how the government viewed my situation and some of the reasons the government denied my first request. The SPCA director gave me the contact name of a government official and told me to use his name if necessary to gain creditability. We provided an affidavit from our city police department in order to prove our dogs were quiet. I also brought our family photo with me to show the government official they were “family,” which is a foreign concept in Asia. To avoid lengthy quarantine stays for your pets, find out what is required. For example, if you are moving to England or Australia - countries with 6 month quarantine requirements – you can start titer testing and adhering to the pet travel scheme so your pet only needs to stay in quarantine for 30 days. click here to continue reading Jenaah's experience on Moving to Singapore
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Volunteer Spotlight: Jim, OH Volunteer
Name: Jim
Hometown: Tropical Cleveland, Ohio
Family (including pets):
Nancy, Ryzhik’s Sophie’s Choice & Tas-Time’s Commander Cody
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How did you get involved with rescue and how did the AAHI OH group get started? I got involved with rescue thru the SHCG Cleveland. Then, Grandma Bobbie convinced Mother (Lois) to let us in. How long have you been rescuing Siberians? 6+ years What is the best thing about rescuing Siberians? They never look back. It’s easier to let them go when they leave willingly. Of course it’s nice when we hear how good they are doing in their new homes. What has been your favorite AAHI moment? Getting our 3-time loser her forever home. What are your interests/hobbies outside of Siberian rescue? IS there anything else? I’m the Treasurer for the, Siberian Husky Club of Greater Cleveland, Inc. I also belong to, Loving Paws, a pet therapy group, where we take our, Sophie, to Hospitals, Nursing Homes, and Handicapped Facilities. Oh, did I mention I was into dogs? If you won the lottery tomorrow, what would you do? Retire from my job. Tithe the Church. Pay off the relatives. Build a Dog Friendly House and a Kennel for plenty of Rescues. Open a Doggie Daycare. Favorite vacation destination and why: Wherever family is, Texas and California. I would like to go to Alaska. What would you like to say to fellow AAHI volunteers and to those people thinking of volunteering with AAHI? To current Volunteers: being patient/persistent pays off. Every dog has a home waiting for it; you just have to find it. To those who are unsure if this is right for them: Being a part of something bigger than yourself is rewarding, get off the couch! Thank you Jim for volunteering your time to help save Siberian lives and for playing a significant role in branching AAHI into OH!!!!!!!
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For those of you that have had a furry friend travel to the rainbow bridge. ABOVE THE RIDGE By Hal, IL Volunteer |
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When I can see above the ridge
I’m sure I’ll see the Rainbow Bridge And when I cross, I’ll never see The pain and sorrow follow me.
For at the bridge, one thing is true, Across the bridge the sky is blue The grass is green, the bowl is full, And I’ll be free to love and pull.
I lived my life, and now I see The future set in front of me. Though you may cry and you may grieve This one thing you must believe.
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My life was not a total loss Without that life, I could not cross. The bridge that gives eternal life, The bridge that ends all pain and strife.
You must not cry, nor shed a tear Instead, just know there is no fear. For once I cross the bridge, I know Eternity is pure as snow.
I’ll sit and stay and wait for you And this one thing is surely true. I will not go across the bridge Until YOU see above the ridge.
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CONGRATULATIONS TO . . . |
THANK YOU TO . . . |
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To print this newsletter in PDF format CLICK HERE. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. |
