Jack

White Siberian Husky

Your dog’s birthday:  Everyday

How did you obtain your dog?:   We got Jack from Husky Rescue 5 years ago.  He was extremely underweight (45 Pounds) and his coat was in terrible condition. 

How old was your dog when you got him/her?  Vet thinks Jack was 2- 3 years old when we rescued him

How would you best describe him/her in 5 words?  Loving, Funny, Extremely Smart… Our Family is his pack 

Your dog’s favorite food:  Cheese, Bacon and Meat

Cutest thing your dog does:  When he swims, he prefers to ride on one of us… Piggy Back Style… Back or Stomach 

Smartest thing your dog does: He can open doors to get to treats or get on cabinets to reach something he wants.

Anything else you would like to share about your dog:  He has to be in the room with my wife or I when we’re home.  Just wants to be touching.  As with most Huskies, he is also very vocal when he greets us or wants something.

ABBY

Your dog’s name Abigail Loraine Mangano and other names she will respond to Abby; Abby-Dabbers, Puk’n & Monkey

Your dog’s birthday   We decided July 15 2013 but she didn’t come to live with us until Nov 12 2013. 

How did you obtain your dog?  From a good friend & colleague active w/ rescue efforts involving the Odessa Animal Shelter. When my husband & I saw her little face we fell in love with her and both agreed we were ready for a new member to join our family. So my friend Becky had her Mother go pick her up from the shelter. Becky’s plan was….for her to go home to Odessa on Thanksgiving for the holiday and get her. Unfortunately complications with having a new puppy in your home were too much, so Becky took off work the next day and met her Mother at the half way point, a two hour drive to Abilene, TX. The main reason Abby is with us today is because of my caring friend and all her efforts. 

How old was your dog when you got him/her?  Paperwork stated 3 months but the Vet stated based on when her “canine teeth” came in she would have been 4 months old. 

How would you best describe him/her in 5 words?  Energetic, Demanding, Playful, Sweet and Loving

Your dog’s favorite food  ;  Anything you feed her

Cutest thing your dog does : For Mommy- she talks to me in the morning when she needs to go out and likes to play soccer w/ a tennis ball….she’s a great goalie; For Daddy- she cuddles up with daddy in bed, yes she sleeps in the bed.  Also, she will stand on her back legs and use her front paws to pull your shoulders in and give you a hug.

Smartest thing your dog does :  For Mommy- She will pick up her “Konkie” and throw it toward me to fill w/ treats. I then tell her to pick it up and bring to the kitchen and she will pick up and following to the kitchen and give it to me to fill w/ treats. For Daddy-  she argues with mommy.  She will, from time to time, gather up all of her toys around the house and put them in her toy box.

Anything else you would like to share about your dog:  Abby has become a good dog. She has had quite a journey to be with us but our lives are forever changed because of her. 

Sampson

Your dog’s birthday      August 28, 2004

How did you obtain your dog?      Adopted him from a rescue organization called Homeward Bound after he was initially rescued off the street and then rescued a second time from a family who adopted him and then abused him.  

How old was your dog when you got him/her?       3 years

Your dog’s favorite food      Whatever I am feeding him and treats

Cutest thing your dog does        Barks at the thunder and rain

Smartest thing your dog does        Barks when someone is at the door.   Hides in closet or under bed when there is a storm        

Anything else you would like to share about your dog:  Loves to take walks, chase squirrels on the fence by running up and down the fenceline, barks at other dogs walking down the street…

Tipper

Your dog’s birthday    November 16, 2000

How did you obtain your dog?       Adopted from an older couple who could no longer take care of him

How old was your dog when you got him/her?      10 years old

Your dog’s favorite food  - right now chicken and rice

Cutest thing your dog does    The white star on the top of his head

Smartest thing your dog does      Barks when outside to get Sampson to come outside and check everything out.

Anything else you would like to share about your dog:    Even though he has difficulty seeing and hearing, he can always find food when it is dinner time.

The world’s most animal friendly airports

Frankfurt Airport has The Lufthansa Cargo Animal Lounge, it is a 4,000 square meter facility with stalls, kennels, a quiet room for cats, aviaries, climate controlled chambers and even backlit areas for fish. Though dogs and cats visit most often, they are equipped to care for anything, from fish to rhinos, horses and even polar bears. They have a 24 hour staff of veterinarians and handlers. Amsterdam Airport has KLM’s Animal Hotel with separate areas for dogs and cats, they even offer dog walking services while your pet is there.
New York’s JFK is getting “The Ark” ready. Scheduled to open in 2016,this facility is 178,000 square feet and will include: climate controlled stalls with bedding and natural light, an overnight pet resort and animal lounge. The Ark is designed to take everything from pandas to puppy dogs. They will allow all sorts of pets and zoo animals.

Atlanta International Airport does its part too. They have a 1,000 square foot dog park that is fenced in. It has flowers, grass, rocks, benches and 2 original pieces of art.
Miami Airport has 2 fenced doggy parks next to the terminals.
San Diego Airport has not only an outdoor pet relief area but they also have a very interesting indoor potty station, men’s room, ladies’ room and puproom? 

Roll over

Start with your dog lying down. Hold a treat in your hand and place it in front of the dog’s nose. Slowly move the treat to the dog’s shoulder. As your dog follows the treat he will lie on his side. Keep moving the treat in the same direction towards the floor on the other side of your dog so he is now with all paws in the air. He will then flip over and when he does say “roll over!” and give him a treat once he gets up.

After about 15 repetitions, ask for a down, then ask for the “roll over” in a nice upbeat voice and wait. If he does, tell him he is a great dog and jackpot. If he doesn’t, lure him without a treat in your hand and then treat him.

Remember this is just a trick, if your dog doesn’t seem comfortable doing it just stop and try something else, training should be fun for you both.

Summer is coming and with it the Texas heat. These are a few ways to keep your dog tired and happy even through those hot months where long walks might not be an option.

Having your dog run around with other dogs is great exercise. Day care, boarding or having a sleep over with other dogs will keep your dog socialized and tired. In most cases dogs will tire our other dogs much more effectively than we can as humans.

We love to play the recall game indoors. Not only does it get your pooch moving, it will also polish his response for coming when called. 

Two people are needed for this game. The first person calls the dog “Lola, come!” in a very happy and upbeat voice, as the dog runs to the person he or she gives the pup a treat. Then the second person calls her, as the dog turns to run towards the second person he rewards the pup and so on. As your dog gets better at this game, increase the distance between the people, then move to a different room. Always quit before your dog gets bored or too tired. 

Remember the game is the “call game” so if your dog just starts running back and forth between the two people without being called, that is not the game. You should wait to call her back and then she gets her treat. Your dog will speed from one location to the next and have an awesome time. 

You can also play hide and seek with your dog. begin by pointing to a family member or friend and say his/her name. When your dog looks at your friend say “yes” and you or your friend  can give your pup a treat. Repeat a few times then have your friend move a few feet away. As your dog catches on that he must find this person make it harder and harder. The reward doesn’t always have to be a treat it can also be verbal praise or a toy. In no time you’ll be able to use this game to find family and friends around your home.

If you have a dog that retrieves you might also enjoy having them retrieve objects. Start with a ball or one of his favorite toys. Then have him retrieve other stuff for you like keys or your shoes, this will make the game a little harder for the dog and because we are making him think, he’ll tire out even faster.

Instead of feeding your dog from a boring bowl in the kitchen, try separating her meal into several little tupperware around your home. We like to hide a few in a room and have your pup search for his meal. Now instead of just sitting there and wolfing down her breakfast she needs to run around from one location to the other to find her meal. This works great for dogs who eat too fast and for those who are finicky about what they eat.

Remember that treadmill that is sitting in the garage? Try to see if your pup will go on it. A lot of dogs are very comfortable walking on them. You must start with a very very slow setting at first, get them used to the noise it makes and the movement. Once your pup gets the hang of it you can make it a bit faster. Not all dogs are comfortable with the movement and the noise so be very gentle and if your pup doesn’t like it then try some of our other suggestions for exercise. Make sure you are always watching your dog while he runs.