Comments for Pet Connection Blog http://www.petconnection.com/blog The Web blog of the Pet Connection, a pet-care feature syndicated internationally by Universal Press. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:43:43 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 Comment on Recall: Wysong dog food by 5CatMom http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/10/13/recall-wysong-dog-food/comment-page-1/#comment-478185 5CatMom Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:43:43 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=9513#comment-478185 Please be aware that the Midwest, which is the USA's grain belt, had above average rainfall this year. Where I live, rainfal was way above average. The result is that grain elevators are seeing a lot of moldy grain. Just my opinion, but if you're NOT using grain free food, might be a good idea to give it a try. Be careful out there. 5CM Please be aware that the Midwest, which is the USA’s grain belt, had above average rainfall this year. Where I live, rainfal was way above average.

The result is that grain elevators are seeing a lot of moldy grain.

Just my opinion, but if you’re NOT using grain free food, might be a good idea to give it a try.

Be careful out there.

5CM

]]> Comment on Recall: Wysong dog food by 5CatMom http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/10/13/recall-wysong-dog-food/comment-page-1/#comment-478184 5CatMom Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:36:17 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=9513#comment-478184 Bill and Mary, I'm so sorry for you guys and your innocent pets. We "pet foodies" have closely followed the pet food companies (PFC's), and have learned (sometimes the hard way) that LOTS of bad commercial food is on the market. PFC's are pros at using advertising gimicks (i.e., free food), and beautiful designed websites to disguse the fact that their food is crap. In some cases, it's dangerous crap. I hope that you and your friends will join us, and help warn pet owners about the risks of commerical food. This is a great site, as is: www.itchmoforums.com Furry hugs, 5CM Bill and Mary, I’m so sorry for you guys and your innocent pets.

We “pet foodies” have closely followed the pet food companies (PFC’s), and have learned (sometimes the hard way) that LOTS of bad commercial food is on the market.

PFC’s are pros at using advertising gimicks (i.e., free food), and beautiful designed websites to disguse the fact that their food is crap. In some cases, it’s dangerous crap.

I hope that you and your friends will join us, and help warn pet owners about the risks of commerical food.

This is a great site, as is:

http://www.itchmoforums.com

Furry hugs,

5CM

]]> Comment on Recall: Wysong dog food by Sandi K http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/10/13/recall-wysong-dog-food/comment-page-1/#comment-478183 Sandi K Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:19:11 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=9513#comment-478183 Mary, I am also very sorry for your loss, my heart goes out to you. I hope you can report this to FDA and perhaps if you have some food left, they can also test it? This is just so maddening, we keep reading stories of pets falling ill or dying because a company chose not to do everything they could to get word out to the public. When will this madness stop? Last I remember Wysong said FDA told them a press release wasnt necessary, is that really true, I would love to know. They also said they did everything they reasonably could to get word out...all I can say is yeah right, tell that to Mary S who just lost her dog and tell that to the store owners above who heard nothing about this silent recall. This is so sad. Mary, I am also very sorry for your loss, my heart goes out to you. I hope you can report this to FDA and perhaps if you have some food left, they can also test it? This is just so maddening, we keep reading stories of pets falling ill or dying because a company chose not to do everything they could to get word out to the public. When will this madness stop? Last I remember Wysong said FDA told them a press release wasnt necessary, is that really true, I would love to know. They also said they did everything they reasonably could to get word out…all I can say is yeah right, tell that to Mary S who just lost her dog and tell that to the store owners above who heard nothing about this silent recall. This is so sad.

]]> Comment on Why Karen Pryor was a game-changer, and not just for dog-trainers by Mary Mary http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/11/07/why-karen-pryor-was-a-game-changer-for-dog-trainers-and-for-me/comment-page-1/#comment-478182 Mary Mary Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:24:45 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=9997#comment-478182 I may have to add this book to my list. I just started reading Temple Grandin's "Animals in Translation" last night. I'm hoping it gives me insight into rabbit behavior. Two years ago, I trained a very young foster rabbit to perform stunts on voice command. He would run across the room and jump a hurdle then return to me, beg up on his hind legs, run through a tunnel, etc. He was adopted but, alas, returned to the shelter last month. I couldn't wait to see if he remembered his training. Well, he was so stressed the first four weeks he would barely look at me, and "performing" was out of the question. Last week, however, he was in a good mood and even wanted to smash noses with me. I think his high-strung nature is part of the reason he was so easy to train. I think he's just high-stimulation, all around. I could tell people over and over that rabbits are intelligent, but when I show them the video of this little grey bunny (!?) responding (!) to voice commands, they go crazy. Finally they believe me. Anyway, I hope I'm writing one on these behavior books someday. On rabbits. I may have to add this book to my list. I just started reading Temple Grandin’s “Animals in Translation” last night. I’m hoping it gives me insight into rabbit behavior.

Two years ago, I trained a very young foster rabbit to perform stunts on voice command. He would run across the room and jump a hurdle then return to me, beg up on his hind legs, run through a tunnel, etc.

He was adopted but, alas, returned to the shelter last month. I couldn’t wait to see if he remembered his training. Well, he was so stressed the first four weeks he would barely look at me, and “performing” was out of the question. Last week, however, he was in a good mood and even wanted to smash noses with me.

I think his high-strung nature is part of the reason he was so easy to train. I think he’s just high-stimulation, all around.

I could tell people over and over that rabbits are intelligent, but when I show them the video of this little grey bunny (!?) responding (!) to voice commands, they go crazy. Finally they believe me.

Anyway, I hope I’m writing one on these behavior books someday. On rabbits.

]]> Comment on Why Karen Pryor was a game-changer, and not just for dog-trainers by Terry Albert http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/11/07/why-karen-pryor-was-a-game-changer-for-dog-trainers-and-for-me/comment-page-1/#comment-478181 Terry Albert Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:09:41 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=9997#comment-478181 I also loved this book! Her chapter on teaching shelter dogs to be quiet amazed me. I think TAGteaching Would positively affect your results in classes! I also loved this book! Her chapter on teaching shelter dogs to be quiet amazed me. I think TAGteaching Would positively affect your results in classes!

]]> Comment on Why Karen Pryor was a game-changer, and not just for dog-trainers by Gina Spadafori http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/11/07/why-karen-pryor-was-a-game-changer-for-dog-trainers-and-for-me/comment-page-1/#comment-478180 Gina Spadafori Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:31:35 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=9997#comment-478180 I think about the human aspect of this all the time, since I work for a man -- in the "day job," please note -- whose attitude is basically, "Because I'm boss and you're lucky to have paying work." and "Find ways to motivate YOU? Why is that MY problem? Just do what you're told. Or else face the consequences." It's a shame, because the corporate culture of the place is overall progressive, but it's all "my way or the highway" with this one. I feel alpha-rolled every day. And you can all imagine what that does for my interest in being a contributing part of the operation, and how it unleashes my creativity. Bah. I think about the human aspect of this all the time, since I work for a man — in the “day job,” please note — whose attitude is basically, “Because I’m boss and you’re lucky to have paying work.” and “Find ways to motivate YOU? Why is that MY problem? Just do what you’re told. Or else face the consequences.”

It’s a shame, because the corporate culture of the place is overall progressive, but it’s all “my way or the highway” with this one. I feel alpha-rolled every day. And you can all imagine what that does for my interest in being a contributing part of the operation, and how it unleashes my creativity.

Bah.

]]> Comment on Recall: Wysong dog food by Leslie K http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/10/13/recall-wysong-dog-food/comment-page-1/#comment-478179 Leslie K Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:04:26 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=9513#comment-478179 Mary I'm very sorry for your loss. Mary I’m very sorry for your loss.

]]> Comment on No more homeless pets and other exercises in messaging by Christie Keith http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/10/22/no-more-homeless-pets-and-other-exercises-in-messaging/comment-page-1/#comment-478175 Christie Keith Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:52:27 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=9669#comment-478175 B. Bagder, that's a very different story than I hear from shelter directors all over the country. They still screen, but in a friendly, positive way, designed to make people feel like they're having a good experience instead of undergoing the Spanish inquisition. And wonder of wonders, their bounceback rates have either stayed flat or gone up only a tiny fraction of their new, increased adoption rate. Which saves animal lives, and does not result in animals in bad homes or bouncing back to shelters. What results in high bounce backs and bad placements is BAD ADOPTION POLICIES, not aggressive adoption programs. The fear of seeing "endless strays and dumped animals" is an excuse made by crappy shelters that don't want to change, or shelters that don't know how to do effective adoption matchmaking in the first place. The key to ending pet homelessness is doing a good job at sheltering and rehoming animals. And that means being fast, being high volume, and being good. A challenge for sure, but one shelters all over America, in all kinds of communities, are meeting. B. Bagder, that’s a very different story than I hear from shelter directors all over the country. They still screen, but in a friendly, positive way, designed to make people feel like they’re having a good experience instead of undergoing the Spanish inquisition.

And wonder of wonders, their bounceback rates have either stayed flat or gone up only a tiny fraction of their new, increased adoption rate.

Which saves animal lives, and does not result in animals in bad homes or bouncing back to shelters. What results in high bounce backs and bad placements is BAD ADOPTION POLICIES, not aggressive adoption programs. The fear of seeing “endless strays and dumped animals” is an excuse made by crappy shelters that don’t want to change, or shelters that don’t know how to do effective adoption matchmaking in the first place.

The key to ending pet homelessness is doing a good job at sheltering and rehoming animals. And that means being fast, being high volume, and being good. A challenge for sure, but one shelters all over America, in all kinds of communities, are meeting.

]]> Comment on No more homeless pets and other exercises in messaging by B. Badger http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/10/22/no-more-homeless-pets-and-other-exercises-in-messaging/comment-page-1/#comment-478173 B. Badger Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:10:27 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=9669#comment-478173 There's the unfortunate side to the "ending petlessness" slogan, and that is adopting pets out to families that should not have them. It's easy for that phrase to sound virtuous until you work for a facility that sees the endless strays and dumped animals from shelter adoptions gone wrong (microchips and tags tell that tale). Not every family should have a dog or a cat and that's OK. There’s the unfortunate side to the “ending petlessness” slogan, and that is adopting pets out to families that should not have them. It’s easy for that phrase to sound virtuous until you work for a facility that sees the endless strays and dumped animals from shelter adoptions gone wrong (microchips and tags tell that tale). Not every family should have a dog or a cat and that’s OK.

]]> Comment on Have you looked at the moon this week? by glock http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/11/06/have-you-looked-at-the-moon-this-week/comment-page-1/#comment-478172 glock Sat, 07 Nov 2009 03:36:00 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=9995#comment-478172 Wonderful moons this week, especially at 2:00 a.m. when the Shiba decides she must go potty! Wonderful moons this week, especially at 2:00 a.m. when the Shiba decides she must go potty!

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