It’s that time of year for pumpkins, candy, cool weather, witches and werewolves. Halloween can be a tough time for your dog. The doorbell rings, weird looking kids are walking down the street, and everyone in the family is on a sugar high from all the candy. How can you help your dog through the holiday with minimal stress and chaos?
Take your dog for a long walk/run/play session before kids start trick or treating. A tired dog is a good dog and less likely to be reactive.
Consider using electric jack o lanterns inside where dog’s tails might hit them. A candle and a dog’s tail never mix well.
Chocolate smells and tastes great to dogs…but it is extremely toxic so please keep your candy up out of dog’s reach.
Don’t take your dog out trick or treating with you it can be scary and unpredictable no matter how stable a dog you have.
Don’t leave your dog outside…sadly, Halloween pranksters might think it is funny to open your fence and let your dog run free.
Make sure you have ID on your dog just in case they get loose!
Some dogs love getting dressed up…prepare your dog before hand and have them try on their costume a couple times before the big day. Let them become comfortable with it and make sure it is safe for them to move in.
What I didn’t know is that he wasn’t just a dancer: Bill “Bojangles” Robinson was a native of Richmond Virginia. He was an Army rifleman in WWI. He invented many new dance steps including the famous “stair dance”. He starred in more then a dozen movies. He gave away most of the money that he made dancing. When he died in New York City, the schools were closed for a day. He paid for the traffic light where his monument stands, after a child was injured crossing.
Melvin and Penny were the first clients to go find the Bill “Bojangles” Robinson Monument by the traffic light that he donated in the 1930’s.
Congrats also go out to Loki and Odin!
Moose and Georgia also found their way to the monument. Unfortunately because of my lack of computer knowledge, I wasn’t sure how to get their pictures onto the blog. They were great pictures too! For future reference…please send your picture as an attachment so I can upload them!
Follow Me Dog Training LLC has a fun time driving and walking around Richmond Va, looking for new places for Leinie to pose. It gives us a chance to get to know the city and take walks in new places.
Go exploring with your dog and find new and interesting places to take walk! Stay tuned for the next Where’s Leinie? picture!
Posted 10 months, 2 weeks ago at 8:59 pm. Add a comment
Last weekend, Richmond Virginia celebrated the Richmond Pitbull Awareness Day with a Bully Walk at the Raceway. We weren’t around to participate like we did last year. But according to the people at Bless the Bullys today, 24 October 2009 is the official National Pit Bull Awareness Day. There is definitely a need for awareness about this breed. They are a really cool, misunderstood breed. I encourage everyone to do a little research about the breed. However, all Pit Bulls and all Pit Bull owners are not alike. I can honestly say that I have met some pits that I was not a big fan of and was extremely disappointed by their owners.
For Follow Me Dog Training LLC we are lucky to have a few really cool Pit Bulls in our family of clients. If you own this breed, I strongly emphasize training, exercise and discipline…along with love and good communication….hmmm I say that about every dog don’t I! However, because of the stigma of this breed, we need great representatives in our neighborhoods and parks!
Here are a few of the Pit Bulls (and pit mixes) I feel privileged to know.
Melvin
Missy & Nina
Riley & Leinie
Kramer @ Versatile K9
Dahlia
Follow Me Dog Training LLC offers a FREE evaluation with you and your dog. We would love to help your dog become a valuable member of your family! Call or email us and set up an appointment!
Leinie & Bridget
Posted 10 months, 3 weeks ago at 12:44 pm. Add a comment
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This really isn’t a disease we should only pay attention to in October though…just like every form of cancer. Dogs can develop breast cancer, did you know that? Mammery cancer in dogs is treated much like the human breast cancer. There are warning signs and things that you can do to help prevent breast cancer.
More exercise, a good diet, low stress, companionship…funny how dogs can help us all with these things and help prevent cancer at the same time.
You can also donate time and money to a good cause. Leinie and I purchase the Pink Tennis balls from Wilson. You can get them through the Pink Ribbon Shop or check out your local sports store.
We also found out that our favorite Holistic Vet, Dr. Tracy Lord is participating in one of the 3 Day walks. If you are interested in donating to her team…go here: http://www.theseboobs.com/ Those 3 Day Walks can be kinda brutal and we talked about her training schedule last time the dogs went in for an adjustment. We are proud to support her and all the others that take part in these events.
It seems more and more everyday our rights as pet owners are being questioned, attacked and denied. As an animal lover, a dog professional and someone that would love to have a pet in my life for as long as I can, the National Pet Owner’s Bill of Rights is something I want to bring to every one’s attention.
PetPAC is an organization formed to protect the rights of pets and owners through public awareness education, grassroots organizing, and advocacy at the local, state and national level. http://petpac.net/
Do you want to be able to own a pet? Would you like to make sure your grand kids own a pet? Are you allowed to own the breed of dog you love? Do you think it is wrong for someone to unjustifiably take your dog and euthanize it because of it’s breed, or the number of dogs you have? These are all questions you should be asking yourself because the animal rights extremists would like to see the end of pet ownership.
Within the United States, pet owners are under attack. Unscrupulous animal rights extremists are waging a battle to eliminate pet ownership. They are extremely well funded and have introduced hundreds of legislative bills in dozens of states to severely restrict pet owner rights. — National Pet Owner’s Bill of Rights
Owning a pet is a large responsibility. But can you really think that the people that run puppy mills, don’t train their dogs, are hoarders and fight their dogs (among many other atrocities that can be perpetuated against animals) outweigh the people that share a home with their pets and provide unconditional love, safety, health care and a good quality of life? By supporting the Animal Rights movement you aren’t supporting animals….you are working toward the end of pet ownership.
Follow Me Dog Training LLC supports this petition and the right to own and care for our dogs as our personal property. We love animals and want future generations to know them as we do.
Posted 11 months, 1 week ago at 2:21 pm. Add a comment
Tonight on the Animal Planet a new season of Dogs 101 starts. Leinie, Pepper and I are definitely tuning in because our friend Tanner is going to have the spot light on him! Being a champion Dock Diver, Tanner is used to the spotlight and even being on TV, but this is more then a local news show…this is Animal Planet!
We’ve known Tanner and his handler/trainer Sue Barnes for about 5 years now. I remember when Sue called and said she was going to try something new with Tanner. Well Tanner took to Dock Diving like he does with anything…extreme gusto. He’s a cool dog and a wonderful representative of the German Shorthair Pointer breed!
Follow Me Dog Training LLC has a couple other friends involved with Dogs 101 and wishes to congratulate them on a great show.
See a dog you like on Dogs 101 and are wondering if it would fit into your family? How about once it is in your family? Training is one of the first things to think about! So contact Follow Me Dog Training LLC for a free evaluation with your dog! We train dogs and their owners all over the Richmond Virginia area.
Posted 11 months, 1 week ago at 9:31 am. Add a comment
October 2009 finds Leinie posing in a new location. Do you know where he is? Follow Me Dog Training LLC encourages you go for a walk with your dog and find Leinie’s favorite spot this month.
Here’s the challenge; find where Leinie is posing, take your dog’s picture in the same spot, or as close as they can physically get. Send the picture and the exact location to renee@followmedogtraining.com.
The first picture I recieve with a dog in the correct spot, will win a prize from Follow Me Dog Training LLC, have their dog’s picture posted on the blog and get bragging rights for a month.
The current month’s picture will always be on our Where’s Leinie? page!
Be safe and responsible, please pick up after your dog. Now go out and explore Richmond Virginia with your dog!
Posted 11 months, 1 week ago at 4:55 pm. Add a comment
Where’s Leinie? Sept. ‘09 wasn’t too hard a location to find. We had a bunch of submissions…way to go clients, keep taking your dog out places! Woody and his family (Nikki and Will) found the location and posed for a picture!
Leinie was posing at the softball fields across from the Aurthur Ash center. It was an easy find if you have ever driven past or been to the Diamond for a baseball game!
Whiskey and Blaze also found Leinie!
And so did Stella!
Follow Me Dog Training LLC has a fun time driving around Richmond Va, looking for new places for Leinie to pose. It gives us a chance to get to know the city and take walks in new places.
Go exploring with your dog and find new and interesting places to take walk! Stay tuned for the next Where’s Leinie? picture!
Posted 11 months, 2 weeks ago at 4:06 pm. Add a comment
