february 2021 | Issue #3
Trix
presented by
contents O PE R AT I O N S D U R I N G C OV I D THE FUTURE OF ANIMAL SH E LT E R I N G LH S M A R K E T PL AC E G O LD S TA R A D O P T I O N S LOV E F R O M A D O G N A M E D CA LLI E M PLOYE E SP OT LI G H T J US T F O R K I D S “D E A R PE N N Y ” H E LP ! I H AV E A MOUTHY MUT T O U R W I SH LI S T C PR F U N D U PDAT E S M E E T SU G A R ! T H E N E W E S T E M PLOYE E O F L AW R E N C E H U M A N E
Lawrence Humane Society
during COVId-19 Ou r p e t h o us i n g a re as re ma i n C LO SE D to th e p u b l i c , m e a n i n g we d o n o t a l l ow f re e b rows i n g o f o u r a n i ma ls . Howe ve r, we o ffe r s a m e day i n-p e r s o n a d o p ti o n a p p o i ntm e nt s . To ma ke a n a d o p ti o n a p p o i ntm e nt , p l e as e v is i t o u r we b s i te a n d c h o o s e a ti m e sl o t that is ava i la b l e a n d wo r k s fo r y o u! C o m e to th e sh e l te r at y o u r s c h e d u l e d a p p o i ntm e nt ti m e to m e e t wi th a n a d o p ti o n c o u ns e l o r. F o r th e s afe t y o f p o te ntia l a d o p te r s a n d o u r st aff, we have s e t u p C OV I D p ro te c ti o n m e asu re s i n a la rg e m e e ti n g sp a c e . O n c e y o u have a rri ve d to LH S fo r y o u r a d o p ti o n a p p o i ntm e nt , o u r h e l p f u l c o u ns e l o r s wi l l c hat a b o u t what k i n d o f a n i ma l y o u ’re l o o k i n g fo r a n d h e l p matc h y o u wi th s o m e o n e wh o f i t s y o u r l i fe st y l e/fa m i l y. Yo u c a n b e g i n b o o k i n g a n a p p o i ntm e nt at 9 a m , wi th a p p o i ntm e nt s ava i la b l e f ro m 1 0 a m to 5 p m da i l y. We c o nti nu e to b u i l d o u r fo ste r p ro g ra m a n d s e n d ava i la b l e a n i ma ls o u t i nto h o m e s s o n o t a l l ava i la b l e a n i ma ls a re i n o u r b u i l d i n g. D o nati o ns c a n b e l e ft o n th e t a b l e s o u t s i d e o u r d o o r s a ny day f ro m 9 a m to 6 p m. Th e Pe t R e s o u rc e C e nte r c a n h e l p y o u wi th a ny s e r v i c e s that d o n o t re ga rd a d o p ti o ns . Yo u c a n re a c h th e m b e st b y e ma i l i n g h e l p @ lawre n c e hu ma n e .o rg o r y o u c a n l e ave a m e s s a g e at 7 8 5 - 37 1 -0 4 7 3 .
We c a n’ t w a i t t o s e r v e y o u !
LE T ’S G E T S O CI A L ! /L AWRENCEHUMANE
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F o r a l o n g ti m e su rre n d e ri n g a p e t to th e sh e l te r has b e e n th e g o -to s o l u ti o n fo r to u g h p e t p ro b l e ms , a n d th e sh e l te r i n d ustr y has h isto ri c a l l y fo ste re d th e i d e a that sh e l te r s a re th e o n l y s afe s o l u ti o n fo r p e t s i n n e e d. F o r tu nate l y, a n i ma l sh e l te ri n g is g o i n g th ro u g h a re na is s a n c e p e ri o d , a n d m o re o rga n i z ati o ns a re b e g i n n i n g to c ha l l e n g e o l d n o ti o ns a b o u t h ow b e st to h e l p p e t s . Su rre n d e ri n g a n i ma ls to th e sh e l te r is a o n e - s i ze - f i t s- a l l a nswe r to p e t p ro b l e ms . Bu t i f we tr y o th e r s o l u ti o ns o n fo r s i ze , we may j ust f i n d a b e tte r f i t . Th e L awre n c e Hu ma n e S o c i e t y stri ve s to tre at e a c h p e t as a n i n d i v i d u a l wi th u n i q u e n e e ds . Ou r Pe t R e s o u rc e C e nte r st aff f u n c ti o ns as c as e wo r ke r s , wo r k i n g to f i n d th e b e st p o s s i b l e p athway fo r e a c h a n i ma l we s e r ve . In s o m e c as e s , su rre n d e r may b e b e st , b u t ma ny ti m e s i t ’s n o t . What i f, i nste a d o f f i n d i n g n e w h o m e s fo r a n i ma ls , we o ffe re d re s o u rc e s to h e l p th e m ke e p th e o n e s th e y a l re a d y have? What i f we e m p owe re d th e c o m mu n i t y wi th th e kn owl e d g e a n d re s o u rc e s to h e l p us h e l p a n i ma ls b e fo re th e y e nte r th e sh e l te r s y ste m? He re a re j ust a fe w e x a m p l e s o f h ow th e L awre n c e Hu ma n e S o c i e t y is c ha n g i n g th e way we h e l p p e t s i n o u r c o m mu n i t y. • F o u n d a l o s t p e t ? We h e l p p ro v i d e f i n d e r s wi th a l ist o f to o ls fo r l o c ati n g a l o st p e t ’s own e r i n c l u d i n g sha ri n g th e p e t o n p o p u la r l o st & fo u n d s o c ia l m e d ia s i te s , us i n g th e F i n d i n g R o ve r l o st p e t a p p, a n d m o re . L e t ’s b y p as s th e stre s s f u l sh e l te r a n d g e t th e p e t stra i g ht h o m e wh e n e ve r p o s s i b l e . • Pet ne e ds a new home? Even when a pet owner determine s their pet needs a new home , mo st remain emotionall y inve sted in providing their animal a good ou tcome. Teaching pet owners how to safel y rehome a pet on their own using tools like Adoptapet .com keep s the pet in a familiar environment while giving the pet owner ultimate control in selec ting a new home for the pet the y love. • Pe t i s m i s b e h av i n g ? G e t a d v i c e a n d a n i n d i v i d u a l i ze d tra i n i n g p la n f ro m th e b e hav i o r st aff at th e L awre n c e Hu ma n e S o c i e t y o r o n e o f o u r c o m mu n i t y p a r tn e r s . Wi th b e hav i o r su p p o r t , th e p e t may b e c o m e su c c e s s f u l i n th e h o m e th e y a l re a d y have . • Ca n’ t a ffo rd fo o d /p e t c a re su p p l i e s ? Just b e c aus e a n own e r is e x p e ri e n c i n g ha rdsh i p d o e sn’ t m e a n th e y c a n’ t p ro v i d e a l o v i n g h o m e . He l p i n g wi th su p p l i e s s e e ms l i ke a b e tte r s o l u ti o n to us tha n u p ro o ti n g p e t s f ro m a fa m i l y wh o l o ve s th e m. Th e re wi l l a lway s b e s o m e a n i ma ls wh o n e e d to b e at th e sh e l te r, a n d we wa nt to c a re fo r th e m wh e n th e y d o. Bu t we ’d l i ke to s ave ke n n e l sp a c e fo r th e a n i ma ls that tru l y n e e d to b e th e re . Wh e n we c a n e m p l o y a l te rnati ve s o l u ti o ns a n d p re s e r ve th e b o n d b e t we e n a p e t a n d th e i r p e r s o n , we th i n k that ’s th e b e st o u tc o m e . Th e f u tu re o f a n i ma l sh e l te ri n g is n o t j ust a s afe t y n e t fo r h o m e l e s s a n i ma ls - i t ’s p ro v i d i n g re s o u rc e s fo r o u r c o m mu n i t y b e fo re p e t s wa l k th ro u g h th e sh e l te r d o o r s . Th e L awre n c e Hu ma n e S o c i e t y is c o m m i tte d to p ro v i d i n g i n d i v i d u a l i ze d s o l u ti o ns fo r a n i ma ls i n n e e d a n d e x p a n d i n g th e p e t re s o u rc e s we p ro v i d e i n 2 0 2 1. We l o o k fo r wa rd to th e f u tu re a n d e m b ra c e th e re i ma g i n i n g o f a n i ma l we l fa re . Wo n’ t y o u j o i n us ?
W i t h g ra t i t u d e , S ha n n o n We l ls | E xe cu ti ve D i re c to r
shop. support. win-win! 100% of the profits from our retail store provides for the animals in our care! The LHS Marketplace has essential pet supplies, our favorite toys, and apparel + goodies for humans.
lawrencehumane.org/marketplace/
Gold r Sta
Adoptions here are A few of the awesome animals who found their forever homes this month! The couple that adopted Scooby lost their family pet about 2 years ago. Since then, the couple has looked at hundreds of dogs but never found one that seemed to fit. About a week ago, they saw Scooby’s picture on our website and they couldn’t get him out of their heads. Finally, Scooby’s future mom called and left a message. In the message she was reading off the animal details and realized his animal ID number was her birthday! That was all it took to know that Scooby was meant to be theirs.
Scooby
Kyle
Bronson
For months, we have been on the hunt for a forever home for our energetic boy, Bronson. Thanks to our partnership with Minsky ’s Pizza, we finally landed a pretty dang fantastic match. The adopter said it was fate that led him to adopt Bronson. He was in town visiting a friend and they had lunch at Minsky ’s. When he saw Bronson’s picture, he just had to come to the shelter to meet him before he traveled the 6 hours back home. The adopter loved Bronson’s energy and felt an immediate connection.
Mya
When Mya’s adopter met her, he was absolutely head over heels for the sweet girl. Mya now has a different collar for every day of the week and spends most of her days napping with her dad. Even though the tutu he bought her is too small, she loves it so much that she doesn’t want him to take it off! They ’re both in love!
Tom
We had this handsome 10 year old kitty at the shelter for months! We were thrilled when we finally landed him a great home. YAY!
Tundra
This lovely couple had been fostering Tundra for awhile. Each time they talked about possibly adopting him, they would receive a phone call about a potential adopter and take Tundra up to the shelter for a meet. After the third time they brought Tundra in for a meet with a potential adopter, they decided they would go ahead and sign the adoption papers themselves!
Calli
The love from a dog named
“Without her, much of my life wouldn’t have the magic it does now, and I certainly wouldn’t have become the person I am today.”
Sydney was attending college at the University of Kansas back in 2015 and was feeling overwhelmed by her course load. She opted to get her degree in three years instead of four and the pressure was really taking a toll on her mental health. As many college students do, she was struggling to feel like her life had purpose and what direction she wanted to take in life. She started to search for something to distract her from where she was mentally and take care of something other than herself. So the first logical step was to go out and buy a bunch of plants! Unfortunately, it turned out Sydney didn’t have much of a green thumb and all the plants quickly withered away. Still feeling like there was a hole in her caretaker-seeking heart, Sydney began searching the Lawrence Humane website and constantly showing pictures of all the adorable dogs available to her boyfriend. After the plant ordeal, the nagging questions pestered her mind - what if the responsibility of a dog was too much to handle? Would it make her feel worse if she felt that she was not only failing herself but this dog as well? The doubt kept her from heading down to the shelter and adopting a pet. On a sunny summer afternoon while driving around town, her boyfriend who was growing tired of hearing about all these dogs, turned the car around and headed toward the shelter. “That’s it, Sydney! We’re going to go find you a dog!” They walked up and down all the kennels when she locked eyes with a beautiful pup named Michelle. At the time of adoption, Michelle was underweight and was growing anxious from being at the shelter for awhile. Sydney said Michelle stared into her soul with the kindest dog eyes she had ever seen and knew with every ounce of her being that Michelle was the pup for her! Sydney took her home and immediately bonded with this sweet black and white dog she renamed Calli.
The day Sydney adopted Calli! The pair were inseparable from that day forward. The day after Sydney graduated from college, she and Calli drove for eight days straight from Kansas to Alaska where she planned to reside for awhile. The dynamic duo learned to hike, camp, and fish together. They even saw their first marine life - whales, seals, sea lions, and otters. Calli was the proudest dog in all of Alaska, and would hold her head high when they walked down the street. Tourists felt the joy Calli emitted too - they always asked to pet her! Sydney and Calli were the best of friends, adventuring in the great Alaskan terrain for over 3 years!
While in Alaska, Sydney got incredibly sick and was diagnosed with the early stages of cancer. Wanting to be closer to home for her treatment, Sydney and Calli trekked back to Kansas. After every doctor’s appointment, Calli laid in Sydney’s lap and comforted her. Calli reminded her to stay strong and keep fighting. In January of 2020, Sydney got the all-clear from her cancer, and as amazing as this was, Sydney considers it to be the hardest day of her life. The day she received the news from her doctors happened to be the same day she discovered that Calli had cancer. At that point in time, the vets gave Calli two months to live. “You see, I know that she took my cancer from me. It’s the type of thing my Calli-alli would do.” said Sydney. “She’s pulled me out of the deepest depressions of my life. She’s pulled me up 10,000-foot mountains in the snow because she knew I needed to get outside. She’s warned me of coyotes and moose and bear and made sure I never left the house alone. She’s the protector I didn’t know I needed. And now I get to be hers. Her last act is to save me from something I didn’t even know I had lurking within me. And she’s doing a great job.” But Calli didn’t give up so easy - she has had 2 surgeries and continues to live life so fully that you wouldn’t even know she’s been battling cancer. A year after being diagnosed, Callie continues to thrive even in her older age. Sydney and her partner bought a house a few months ago in the midst of the pandemic with a big backyard for Calli to enjoy. Since the move, Calli has even befriended a stray cat that the couple couldn’t resist but to keep. To top it all off, Calli is now helping them foster cats through a local rescue in Wichita where she’s been helping to socialize cats to larger dogs!
“Without her, much of my life wouldn’t have the magic it does now, and I certainly wouldn’t have become the person I am today.” said Sydney. “Without her I’m not sure I’d be alive. So thank you to everyone that works at Lawrence Humane. You saved 2 lives the day you took in Calli.”
this story was originally featured on the podcast “crime junkies” // pictures + extra information provided by calli’s mom - sydney bolin
As a result of the pandemic, more people are turning to technology to take care of their daily business from grocery shopping to doctor ’s appointments. Banking is no different. At Truity Credit Union, we continuously improve our online platforms to include the latest features and to quickly meet our members’ needs. Have a question? Reach out to our Business Development Officer in Lawrence, Tim Mock. He can help with any of your questions and introduce you to the credit union difference you’ll experience at Truity. Tim.Mock@TruityCU.org
BECOME A SPONSOR!
The Wet Nose News media initiative offers our community heart-felt stories, awesome videos featuring our shelter pets, entertainment, and pet education. We hope to provide quality content across several different platforms including this digital and interactive magazine, our blog on lawrencehumane.org, and on our YouTube channel. Whether you enjoy reading or watching, the Wet Nose News delivers the going-ons of Lawrence Humane Society in the medium you love the most! By sponsoring the Wet Nose News, our loyal and passionate community sees that your business cares and supports the shelter ’s programs and services.
If you would like to learn more about sponsorship packages, please contact Sydney Martin at smartin@lawrencehumane.org.
employee Spotlight:
Tia Ezell A n e m p l o y e e w h o h a s w o r n s e v e ra l h a t s d u r i n g h e r 8 y e a r s a t L a w r e n c e Humane , Tia rolls with all the wild punches that working at a shelter can bring. We a r e t h a n k f u l f o r T i a’s d e d i c a t i o n t o o u r o r g a n i z a t i o n a n d a n i m a l w e l f a r e .
Wh at i s y o u r favo r i te th i n g a b o u t wo r k i n g at L awre n c e Hu m a n e? I have two stories - there’s one I get to tell ever y year, about summer time at the shelter. Summer at LHS is so incredibly hectic, with sometimes as many as 40-50 dogs, cats, kittens, etc. coming in daily. It can be a struggle for staff to feel like we can all stay afloat but ever y single summer, I am nearly brought to tears at least weekly with the outpouring of suppor t and offers to help from our fosters. On days when I cannot even imagine how we’ll be able to place all the animals we receive, our fosters always come through for us. It ’s just incredible! Words cannot beging to describe the gratitude we have for all of them. My second favorite stor y is about my first adoption from LHS - Lillian. Lillian was a beautiful chocolate pit mix that came to us as a stray after likely having puppies for the majorit y of her life. She was a senior pup when she arrived to the shelter and she was so scared. I had been loving on her ever y second I could with no intention of adoption. But when I heard she was headed to an offsite adoption event , I just knew I couldn’t let her go. I ran up to the front desk to place a hold on her and adopted Lillian later that week . She came home to live with my three cats and my little Schnauzer and she was just lovely. She was my ever y thing, my “hear t ” dog, and I was so lucky to have her in my life for the nex t six years. She passed away in 2020 and is truly missed. I would like to encourage anyone and ever yone to adopt in her honor - you never know when you’ll find true love in a shelter when you least expect it.
Wh at i s th e h a rd e s t th i n g a b o u t wo r k i n g at a s h e l te r ? I ’m g o i n g to b e re a l c l i c h e h e re ! Th e ha rd e st th i n g a b o u t wo r k is n o t t a k i n g th e m a l l h o m e wi th m e . I wo n’ t te l l y o u h ow ma ny p e t s I have . I d o n’ t th i n k i t ’s e m b a rras s i n g at at b u t i t ’s sti l l a s e c re t ; )
D e s c r i b e wh at y o u r ro l e i s at th e s h e l te r a n d wh at y o u d o ! I ’m cu rre ntl y th e F o ste r a n d Tra ns fe r Ma na g e r h e re at L awre n c e Hu ma n e , s o I have a re a l l y c o o l j o b that i nte r t wi n e s b o th p e o p l e a n d a n i ma ls . I c o o rd i nate a l l a n i ma ls h e a d e d i nto fo ste r h o m e s fo r va ri o us re as o ns - t y p i c a l l y a n i ma ls i n n e e d o f fo ste r c a re a re u n d e ra g e ( to o y o u n g o r sma l l to b e sp ay e d o r n e tu e re d a n d p la c e d fo r a d o p ti o n) o r stru g g l i n g b e hav i o ra l l y wh i c h m e a ns th e y a re fe a r f u l / ti m i d , shu t d own , o r ve r y stre s s e d i n a ke n n e l. S o m e fo ste r a n i ma ls , e sp e c ia l l y th o s e that a re u n d e ra g e , re q u i re q u i te a b i t o f c a re i n th e fo ste r h o m e a n d at th e sh e l te r s o I wo r k wi th th e m e d i c a l te a m to e nsu re we c a n g e t e ve r y o n e h e a l thy as q u i c k l y as p o s s i b l e a n d i nto th e i r fo re ve r h o m e . In a d d i ti o n to th e fo ste r p ro g ra m , I a ls o fa c i l i t ate a l l th e tra ns fe r s . Th e tra ns fe r p ro g ra m is su c h a n e xc i ti n g p a r t o f my j o b ! Ou r c o m mu n i t y is s o su p p o r ti ve o f th e c o n c e p t o f a d o p ti n g , a n d o u r sh e l te r i n g e n e ra l. Th is m e a ns we a re a b l e to as s ist sh e l te r s a l l o ve r th e Mi dwe st (a n d b e y o n d ! ) wi th p la c i n g th e i r a n i ma ls fo r a d o p ti o n h e re i n L awre n c e ! Ty p i c a l l y o rga n i z ati o ns that re q u e st as s ist a n c e stru g g l e wi th a va ri e t y o f is su e s - a la c k o f f u n d i n g , a d o p te r s , a n d c o m mu n i t y su p p o r t o ve ra l l. I have m e t s o m e o f th e n i c e st , ha rd-wo r k i n g p e o p l e a d vo c ati n g fo r p e t s i n ti ny towns a l l o ve r K a ns as , Mis s o u ri , a n d O k la h o ma . S o m e o f th e m o st i n c re d i b l e p e t s that m i g ht n o t have ha d a c ha n c e o th e r wis e have ma d e th e i r way to L awre n c e . L ast y e a r, we we re a b l e to as s ist a l m o st 1,0 0 0 a n i ma ls f ro m o th e r sh e l te r s .
Wh at d o y o u e n j o y d o i n g o u t s i d e o f wo r k ? I love watching KU basketball, gardening, corralling our craz y chickens , walking my dogs downtown, cooking all kinds of food, and hanging ou t with my famil y any chance I get!
WANt to become an lhs foster? 1. 2. 3.
F i l l o u t a n a p p l i c ati o n b y c l i c k i n g h e re ! A p p l i c ati o ns a re c h e c ke d a b o u t o n c e a we e k . O n c e y o u ’ ve b e e n a p p ro ve d , y o u wi l l b e a d d e d to o u r e ma i l l ist a n d y o u c a n re q u e st to b e a p a r t o f o u r su p e r f u n Fa c e b o o k g ro u p ! We re g u la r l y re l e as e e ma i ls a n d p o st s a b o u t a n i ma ls wh o n e e d a fo ste r h o m e b u t y o u d o n o t have to wa i t to h e a r f ro m us to st a r t fo ste ri n g ! Wh e n e ve r y o u ’re re a d y, s e n d T ia a n e ma i l wi th a fe w d e t a i ls a b o u t y o u r h o us e h o l d (o th e r p e t s , k i ds , e tc . ) a n d we wi l l f i n d y o u a matc h !
Yo u c a n re a d m o re a b o u t fo s te r i n g + h ow i t h e l p s o u r s h e l te r b y re a d i n g th i s b l o g !
just for kids
CLICK ON ME TO PRINT ME OUT!
Click on the picture above to print out a coloring page! Once you color the kitty, take a picture and tag us on Facebook or Instagram and we will share your creations!
OUR MOVIE PICKS FOR THIS MONTH!
When the sky really is falling and sanity has flown the coop, who will rise to save the day? Together with his hysterical band of misfit friends, Chicken Little must save the planet from an alien invasion and prove that the world’s biggest hero is a little chicken.
Launched into space in 1969, a loyal dog crash-lands in a small town where pets are no longer welcome. Desperate and confused, he soon recruits the help of a tech-savvy cat to help him reunite with his beloved owner. Streaming on Hulu
Streaming on Netflix and Disney+
CURL UP WITH A GOOD BOOK! Eeebs is an adventurous cat who finds himself in the Nether, a bizarre world inhabited by scary creatures. If you love Minecraft, this series is definitely for you!
Winner of a 2017 Caldecott Honor, They All Saw a Cat explores what a cat might look like from the perspectives of various animals’ points of view.
Layla and the Bots are in an awesome rock band! They also use problem-solving and creativity to build cool inventions. When a local amusement park is in danger of shutting down, Layla knows just how to bring in the crowds... build an amusement park for DOGS! Once a month, our friends from the Lawrence Public Library come to the shelter and hang out with one of our adoptable kitties for storytime! Make sure to follow LPL and LHS on social media so you don’t miss these furry storytimes!
dear
A monthly behavioral advice column empowering readers, through increased knowledge of behavior and training concepts, to resolve problematic pet behaviors, and to strengthen the human-animal bond. PENNY TO THE RESCUE!
This month Penny provides advice about how to deal with mouthy doggos!
Dear Penny We recently adopted a 4-month-old puppy named Sherman and we are so in love! There’s one challenge we are dealing with & we hope you can help. Sherman gets mouthy when he’s excited, and the more excited he gets, the more the nibbling escalates. He hasn’t broken skin and it doesn’t leave a mark but it hurts! When he’s really worked up, efforts to stop him seem to make it worse. We know his intention is NOT to be aggressive but we want to curb the behavior while he’s young!
- Mouthy Mutt Mama
Dear Mouthy Mutt Mama Mouthiness in puppies is pretty common, but resolving the issue while the puppy is young is a very smart idea. The earlier you address a behavior concern, the easier it is to resolve. Plus - you are right! Sherman is a growing boy and what is a nuisance behavior in a young puppy often becomes a major concern when a dog in an adult-sized body is showing the same unwanted behaviors. Much like human children, puppies have a lot of energy to expend in between naps. When puppies are anxious, it can be calming to chew, lick, or hold something in their mouth, kind of like a baby with a pacifier. Excited dogs can have a strong oral fixation as they seek ways to self-sooth their anxiety. Finding ways to decrease Sherman’s arousal will be the key to resolving this issue. I tend to recommend a holistic approach and try to come up with a plan for how to reduce the likelihood of your pup being mouthy, and then make a plan for what to do if the mouthiness does happen. So, let’s discuss how to tackle both of these!
Offense Plan: How to reduce your dog’s mouthy behaviors If Sherman were a dog in the wild, he would have to work for everything he needs to survive. Seeking food, water, shelter, and eventually a girlfriend would fill his time and give him a normal, healthy outlet for his natural instincts. But when we bring dogs into our homes and give them nearly all the things they need with little effort required on their part, they end up having a lot of energy left. The problem is that most dogs lack an Puppies learn how to outlet for their energy, temper the pressure of their bite during play with their and in the absence of the littermates and interactions normal instinctive things with their mother. Experts to do, they pick their own believe that this skill is not (often inappropriate) learned until 7 weeks of age. ways to direct their During play, when a puppy energy. This is what leads uses too much pressure, to nuisance behavior their playmate may squeal or yelp, giving timely like destructiveness or feedback that the pressure mouthiness. The best was too much. Puppies that way we can combat that are separated from their is to engage the dog in litter before 8 weeks of activities that stimulate age are less aware of their his brain in a similar way to pressure. that of a wild dog seeking resources to survive. I’m not suggesting we turn them out and let them fend for themselves, but we want to achieve the same impact on the dog’s brain. When dogs are seeking resources it activates a primal system in the brain called the “Seeking System.” This system is important because when it is activated, it does 3 magical
things: 1.) It suppresses arousal, 2.) It suppresses frustration, and 3.) It suppresses fear. These are all really important, with arousal and frustration being the key benefits for your puppy in particular. (By the way, humans have a seeking system too. It’s why we become depressed without a job, hobbies, or social interactions with family or friends.) So, how do we activate the seeking system? We do so by engaging the dog in problem-solving tasks. One of the easiest ways to accomplish this 1 1 is to switch from feeding kibble out of the bowl to using The original Kong dog toy a food toy like a is one of the best toys for dogs with a strong desire Kong Wobbler, Kibble to chew or lick. Because Nibble, or other you can stuff food inside food-dispensing toy. the toy, it gives them a With these toys, the problem to solve to try dog has to bat the and get it out. A lot of pet toy around to get owners use peanut butter each piece of kibble but there are a variety of options you can use! to come out. With Check out page 23 for this replication of Kong stuffing ideas! “searching” for food, your pup will be problem-solving how to get the food out and seeking
Penny’s
two cents
where it landed. Voila! Food puzzles are great because they are Seeking System activities your dog can do independently; simply load the toy and let them go at it! You can use meal time with a food-dispensing toy as the beginning of a daily lineup of seeking activities sprinkled throughout the day. The more outlets they have, the calmer they will be. If you notice your pup gets especially mouthy at certain times of a day, plan another problem-solving or seeking task for him. Clicker traning a skill is a great problemsolving task to add, plus it acts as an opportunity to bond! The act of learning is so beneficial to a growing pup’s brain! Scent games (often called “nosework”) are a fun and inexpensive type of seeking activity. Hide and seek a treat or your dog’s favorite toy. Sprinkle in a walk outside or physical activity in the yard into your lineup and you’re off to the races!
Defense Plan: Responding to Mouthiness Because you have a puppy that is still learning their manners, you are likely to have mouthiness even with a good offensive plan. When the mouthy pup comes out to play, here’s some do’s and don’ts. • DON’T yell at the dog. This can increase their arousal and lead to more mouthiness • DON’T push the dog off because dogs have an opposition reflex and when you push them. they usually instinctively spring back thinking you’re playing. Again more arousal, more frustration. • DO teach your dog a calm behavior you can redirect them to do while also interrupting the mouthy behavior. Think of something incompatible with jumping or mouthing you. “Sit” is a good choice. Teach “sit” and reward them heavily with treats so their desire to perform the behavior is well established. By cueing a behavior that they know to do and love to perform, you snap them out of their brawny state and into a brainy mindset! Let’s get that thinking brain going! • DO redirect him to something else more appropriate once you interrupt the behavior with “sit” or another chosen command. The burst of mouthiness is your pup’s way of communicating that they need an energy release. Options for redirection include: engaging in a problem-solving activity, outdoor activities, giving them a bone or a frozen Kong, or possibly putting them in their kennel for a nap. You may also consider using timeouts. When the dog begins their mouthiness, you signal that you are withdrawing all interaction. You can pick any cue that works for you - maybe the word “Nope!” and then promptly remove yourself from the room. Timeouts are most effective when they are short (about 30 seconds). Come back into the room and provided the dog is calm and not engaging in other inappropriate behaviors. Expect the dog will likely act up again and when they do, simply say “nope!” and leave again. It’s through this repetition that the consequences become clear.
Best of luck to you! - Penny
h s i W
L IS T
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ho w to stuff a koN G PRO TI P :
Fre e ze th e KO N G a f te r st u f fi n g to re d u ce th e m e s s !
The KONG Dog Toy is one of the best toys for dogs with a strong desire to chew or lick . You can stuff food inside the toy which gives the dog something to work at and get all of the yummy goodness out. A lot of pet owners use peanut butter as the go-to when stuffing KONGS, but there are a variety of options you can put in your pup’s KONG to keep things interesting AND make “Kong Time” last a whole lot longer!
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reading!
- ADOPTABLE FRANKLIN