July 2010 Edition

Welcome to our Paw Prints Points newsletter for July...of course, the month when we celebrate our country's independence! So, Happy 4th of July! Woot! Woot!

We'd like to give a big welcome to all our new clients who signed up with us in June! Thank you for the opportunity to serve you--and your pets!

FABULOUS FELINES!

"Has YOUR cat laughed today?"
Photo by: Jordan Riggs

"Napoleon Bow-Wows"

Have you noticed your dog having a “Napoleon Complex”? “What is that?” you ask. A Napoleon Complex is just a term we use to oftentimes define a dog who is out of balance in his pack and has an overbearing, dominant position over all in the household (not at the stage of aggression yet but close).

What place should dogs have? They should be submissive to their pack leader...you and all human family members.

Most dogs are born to be submissive followers and are not born with dominant personalities. Therefore, dogs need a leader. If there isn’t a leader established in their pack, one will rise up out of necessity to claim that position. (Dominant personalities especially will rise—and quickly.) Consequently, look out! This is where big problems happen fast most notably concerning aggression.

A common scenario that we often hear of regarding Napoleons-on-the-rise is just this: A person looks for the most quiet, calm dog they can find when out searching for a dog to adopt. They want a dog that will be smart, gentle, easy to train and not aggressive. And, they ultimately find this dog. However, within just a few months (sometimes less and sometimes more depending on the case), that calm, submissive, gentle dog has turned into a big, unwanted problem. Symptoms of this problematic behavior are:

· “hugging” your leg (per their language, this does not mean "I love you!" like humans think it does)

· growling, snarling, biting or nipping at you when you get around it when it’s eating

· growling, snarling, biting or nipping when you reach to take their toy away

· lunging at other people or dogs when walking on-leash

* This last item (lunging at dogs or people) can also be a symptom of Fear Aggression as well. However, if the dog has the other symptoms noted, you’re more than likely looking at a dominance aggression behavior diagnosis. Seek a trainer. *

If these symptoms go unaddressed, you could easily have a dog whose behavior has escalated to biting you, biting other dogs and/or biting other people. If so, your dog is now a liability, which could land you in court, get your dog taken away from you and other horrible, expensive outcomes.

What To Do (in no particular order):

You want to make sure to establish yourself (and all other humans in your household) as the leaders immediately. Why? Your dog only sees itself as the boss in your house and not the humans who all should be leaders for the pack.

1. Give your dog a lot of exercise—always controlled by you—don’t neglect the leash walk as part of your consistent exercise routine. Why not? Because a leashed walk done properly is always telling your dog you are the leader and reinforcing your position as such.

2. Establish clear, consistent boundaries (just like you have to do with kids).

3. Never hit, yell or become frustrated with your dog!

4. Remain calm at all times

5. Don’t ignore bad behavior! This doesn’t correct the problem but rather avoids it. Therefore, this issue will go on unresolved.

6. Distractions with cookies do not work! This only adds to the problem of the dog seeing you as nothing more than a “cookie giver” especially with an Alpha or dominant personality. This does not mean that there isn’t room for giving your dog treats! There is but only if they’ve earned it...and only when they’re calm and submissive.

All dogs are unique and one technique doesn’t work for all. So, remain patient :)

Seek a Dog Behaviorist or Trainer for help on showing you what you need to do to communicate effectively with your dog and establish yourself as the leader.

NEW BENEFITS AND SERVICE CHANGES

1. KYPSAH will be closed on Sundays office-wise and will not be answering calls, emails or texts unless we are currently servicing your pets. Of course, we work seven days a week servicing pets so we will continue to be "open" on Sundays for services :) Just to reiterate, only our office will be closed on Sundays. All emails, voicemails and text messages will be answered the following day unless that day is a Holiday in which case, they will be answered the next business day.

2. KYPSAH is offering a new benefit to all clients: Text updates! So if you accept texts and would like to receive your pet’s updates via text, let us know! You can also check out updates on our Facebook page . For those of you who don’t text or use Facebook, never fear! An email with a picture will be sent to you. If you accept all three methods of communication, tell us your preferred method and we’ll use that one.

3. KYPSAH will be posting pictures on Fridays each week. A daily picture will be sent daily via text, Facebook and/or email but the bulk of the pictures will be sent on Fridays via Shutterfly.

DOGS ON THE MOVE!

"Intriguing exhaustive exercise = serenity"
Photo by: Jessica Riggs

Q & A Section

Q: What cat litter do you recommend?

A: World's Best, Swheat Scoop or any other all-natural cat litter. These litters clump great and don't have a "perfumy" smell. There's also no litter dust, which is another huge plus!

Need Reservations?

We make it easy for new and existing clients to make reservations! You can email, text, call or "Facebook" us. It's so simple!

Discounts!

Did you know that we offer discounts? Check us out on our website for more information!

If you're on Facebook, "Like" us! As long as you 'Like" us, you'll receive a 10% discount. Some restrictions apply such as not being able to combine discounts.

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