June/July  2008

Hello fans and friends -

I'm anticipating there won't be a July edition since my assistant is getting spayed.  Yes, I know she's 50 years old and I was spayed when I was less than a year but for some reason human girls sometimes do things differently (she even calls her procedure something different and I guess they're doing even more stuff).  Anyway, because of her surgery I may not be able to put together a July edition, unless I can get John to fill in (ha!).  The good thing about Tracy's operation is that she's going to stay home with me for six weeks!  I think that's a good way to make up for missing out on an edition of The Terrier Tattler, don't you? 

Last month I had a short article about having fun staying fit at Integrative Pet Care.  Here's an excerpt from one of my workouts.... keep in mind, my entire workout is 20 minutes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRbI1aRvH4c 

Hope your summer is off to a great start - I love this time of year.  I lay in the yard basking in the sun - while keeping a watchful eye in the treetops on the lookout for squirrels!  Enjoy!                                                                                                                                             Bianca

 

Summertime Weather - Not Always Sunny :-(

 

Summer is off to a great start here in Chicagoland.  But it's not all sunshine there have been many thunderstorms.  The storms scare a lot of dogs and they are also very destructive.  As many of you know, I have many family members in Iowa and I love to visit there.  Well, that state has really been hit hard this year with tornados, thunderstorms and lots of rain.    Parkersburg, a small town not far from Grandpa and Grandma was almost destroyed by an EF5 tornado at the end of May.  The majority of the town was wiped out!  More recently there have been so much rain and nearby Waverly has flooded.  Other areas of the state have been worse hit: Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Burlington.  It's awful.  I can't imagine how hard it must be to deal with - and not just for the people but for the pets too.  If you want to help the pets in the flooded area there are many animal rescue agencies that are helping in Iowa.  One place you can get more information http://www.hsus.org/hsus_field/hsus_disaster_center/disasters_press_room/iowa_back_together_061908.html

 

For those of you that live in a storm-prone area and find them very stressful, here are some suggestions I've heard:

 

Everyone needs a special place they feel safe and protected.  For many of us that our crate or a special bed or mat.  It should be available during a storm so we can find comfort there.  Some dogs find music helps - but your human counterpart will need to experiment to find the genre that provides you the most comfort.  Others may be comforted with soft, calming, yet confident words while being stroked gently.

Start doing something you love before the storm begins.  For example, if you love to play ball, your person could start playing ball with you at the very start of the stormy weather - before the thunder begins.  They should keep playing during the thunder, unless you get too scared and don't want to (no one should ever force a pup to play!).  Ball playing is just my idea of fun - anything a pup likes will do - a special treat like a Kong filled with something yummy may do the trick. 

Natural or holistic supplements may help.  I've not used these personally but a couple that I've seen are Happy Traveler, NutriCalm and RescueRemedy.  All have very minimal, if any side effects and would be used at the onset of the storm.  I know people that have said they've helped calm their pet during the frightful storms.

Some dogs through training can be desensitized to the sound of thunder using a recording of a thunderstorm.  By playing the recording, you and your human will do some relaxing activity while the 'storm' is playing in the background (start with the volume low).  Be sure there are plenty of treats rewarding good behavior.  Brief, frequent training sessions are best, increasing the volume as you go.  Always keeping the focus on rewards for remaining calm and focused on some basic activity - maybe doing some sits, downs, stays, etc. 

 

Obviously there's no silver bullet solution for this problem.  If you suffer from this thunderstorm phobia you and your human will have to figure out what works best for you.  A note to the humans out there...  one suggestion I heard to help young pups learn not to develop thunderstorm phobia is to take them for walks in the rain.  I remember Tracy always took me for walks regardless of the weather (of course, she had an umbrella for herself!).  Maybe that's why Wes and I don't have this phobia today. 

 

 

On the Road Again...

In the last edition of The Tattler I highlighted my Cairn friends Skippy and Molly's vacation trip out West.  Well, one of my docs, Dr. Goldenson has headed west too but his trip will last a little longer and involve some tired muscles and long days.  Dr. G has known me my whole life and we know each other pretty well -- he loves hot weather, bicycling and of course, I'm his favorite westie!  Well, one of his dreams was to ride across the US, so he recently took advantage of semi-retirement and set out on his dream.  Just a few weeks ago he took off for the Pacific Northwest where he began his 4700 mile ride from Oregon to Florida!

You can read all about his dream and keep abreast of his journey at http://fredsbikerideacrossamerica.blogspot.com/ .  Last I read he was in Montana - sounds beautiful.  But gosh.....  4700 miles - that's a whole lot more than the average 150 yard agility courses I usually run in a competition!  Good luck and best wishes for perfect conditions!  We miss you but not those nasty vaccines you used to give me!

 

 

Pup Pics

We LOVE photos of pups!!!  Send yours to bianca@2westies.com 

 

 

 

 

Got Goldens?

 

 

You may recall in last month's edition of The Tattler I introduced you to my friend Breeze's new brother Jasper (a Golden Retriever puppy).  I have also gone to summer camp for a couple of years with my Golden buddy Ernie.  I've known several Golden Retrievers and I gotta tell you, they are all so darn nice!    Well, here's another one - this is HANK!  He's absolutely beautiful. I haven't met Hank, but Tracy knows his 'Dad' and says he's got a 'Golden' personality too. 

 

I do like the Golden Retrievers I've met but I don't know if I could handle that much "nice".  We terriers like to mix in a little nasty.

 

 

 

Cute as a Dickens?  You better believe it!

 

You've seen the freestyle talent of poodle Lucy and 'mom' Jan in previous editions of The Tattler.  Well, they have a new addition to their family.   Last I heard, the little guy Dickens wasn't quite 6 pounds but he'll probably end up about Lucy's size.  He's very cute and cuddly, which is such a good thing for puppies since they can be a little trying for us grown up dogs to be around.  Although Lucy's enjoying having someone to play with, it's kind of like having a toy with batteries that never die!  

 

We look forward to hearing about the future freestyle antics of Dickens, Lucy and Jan.  Maybe they can perform a chorus line style of dance with the three of them?! 

 

 

The Salazar Family Continues to Grow!

The Salazar clan has grown by 2 - Bruna and Sophia joined Lola and Nina to make it FOUR pups in mom Margarita's household.  Big sister's Lola and Nina are not exactly thrilled to be sharing their home with the little one, but boy they sure are cute.  And as all good Brazilian girls - of course they play soccer (or at least look good in the uniform!).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No Lampshades For Roxy!!

Poor Roxy had to knee surgery.  I know what that's like and believe me it's no picnic. 

 

Part of what makes it really difficult is the itchiness and discomfort of the incision and those darn stitches!  If you could just bite at them and pull them out, somehow it just seems your leg would feel better.  But somehow the humans don't feel it's the right thing to do and they will try everything - even putting an upside down LAMPSHADE-type device over your head.  Well, I wouldn't stand for it and neither would Roxy!  Like me, having one of those big shades around your head was very stressful, so Roxy's 'mom & dad' (Alison & John) found another really neat solution - the ProCollar.  It may not work for every surgical location that a dog may want to get to, but it sure is a whole lot more comfortable than a lampshade!  Just look how happy Roxy is!   You can find out more about the ProCollar at http://www.petco.com/product/100555/ProCollar.aspx.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ab Fabs

Absolutely Fabulous Canine Accomplishments!

Please send your accomplishments to Bianca@2westies.com. 

 

 

 

 

 

Bunny and Audrey and Penny are AWESOME!!

I've known Penny and Bunny since I started doing agility in UKC.  Penny is really fun (for a human) and I think if she were a dog she'd be a terrer (she's really spunky!).  Well, Penny and both her agility dogs, Bunny (Parson Russell Terrier) and Audrey (Toy Poodle) have been recognized for great accomplishments.  Bunny recently received her THIRD MACH (Master Agility Champion) and Audrey her FOURTH MACH.   To top that off, BOTH dogs are also in the TOP 5 AKC agility ranking for their breed, which means for the past year.  Pretty impressive because these breeds have some very stiff competition. 

Big congrats to Penny, Bunny and Audrey!!  Now, if only I could get Penny to send me some pictures!!   Yikes, I just realized I did get a photo from Penny - it was of Tilly!!! (Not Audrey or Bunny) Yes, a new puppy will be coming into the Morgan household.  Another little Parson Russell Terrier named Tilly.  How cute is she?! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Double Q =

Double the Treats!

The goal in an agility run is to 'run fast, run clean' - which basically means you can't make ANY mistakes at all and you have to be speedy.  If you do that for a run you QUALIFY or Q for short.  Since at an AKC agility trial we run two times a day each dog's goal is to Double Q or to qualify in both runs of the day.  This is a cool but tough thing to do.  Well, not only did my buddy Puck do it at the recent MAKC trial in Amherst Junction, Wisconsin, she did it on TWO DIFFERENT DAYS that weekend!  As a matter of fact, Puck (and her very important team member Susan!) Q'd on 5 of their 6 runs on the 3 day weekend!  Big congratulations to both of them!! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Talented Animals

 

Fish Agility?

Ok...  last edition I had a video of mouse agility....  now fish agility...  check it out...  http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4803517

 

 

Freestyle Fun

My friends Lucy and Jan have shared all kinds of fun freestyle stuff with us in the past.  Here's another video I found of border collie in the UK doing freestyle.  I think I'd be a good dancer!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0jNC_w1tSw

 

 

 

Danger in the Back Yard

 

On her way home late one night, just a two blocks from home, Tracy saw a medium-sized dog cross the road go into some bushes.  She also stopped to retrieve the dog, expecting it was lost but due to the hour she didn't go back.  Two days later she learned a coyote has been roaming our neighborhood.  Two friends in our vicinity have seen it.  I've heard of several small dogs that have been attacked and killed by coyotes coming into their yards, even climbing fences to get them.  I hadn't heard of a Westie being targeted before and I'm certain I could probably handle a coyote (even though Tracy disagrees) but you know my brother Wesley is big baby.  Even so...  Westie's are pretty 'sturdy' small dogs.   I didn't know if this was something to be concerned about or not...  Then I found an article in The Charlotte Observer (it's expired off their website but I still have the text so I'm inserting it below):

 

 

Now Tracy is very careful to always turn on the back light and check the yard before sending us outdoors.  We are a little safer have a wood fence.  Invisible fences are especially dangerous in this regard since they form no barrier whatsoever to the coyote.  Chain link fences can also be an issue since the predator can see prey through the fence and can scale the fence quite quickly.  Covering the chain link to form a sight barrier is the best protection for those of you with little dogs.  And of course, having your small dog on a lead next to you is always the best prevention.