Our next round of S.T.A.R. Puppy and Junior classes begins Sept. 28. The S.T.A.R. (Socialization Training Activity Responsibility) Puppy class helps set every new puppy on the right course in life. By introducing them to basic obedience lessons and allowing them to safely interact with other people and pooches, our students will naturally acquire the skills needed to be good dogs. Our Junior class is the perfect experience for a “teenage” dog who needs to practice and hone their basic obedience skills. Call The Grand to sign up: 817-989-PAWS.

In an effort to promote adoption of homeless animals (some shown above), the Mustang Heritage Foundation is working in conjunction with the Humane Society of North Texas to host The Extreme Mutt Makeover, a unique event that will showcase the talents of dogs who have lived many days or months in shelters across North Texas (and one from California). The Extreme Mutt Makeover will be held in conjunction with the “Supreme Extreme Mustang Makeover,” September 16 and 17, 2011 at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Ft. Worth, Texas.

Selected trainers will be assigned a shelter dog through random draw, train it for eight weeks and return to compete for prizes during the Supreme Extreme Mustang Makeover.

The Grand Pet Resort & Salon nominated Rachel to be one of the trainers. We were just notified that she has been selected to participate. On July 23, Rachel will learn who our shelter Mutt is through a random draw. This lucky homeless pooch will live and train at The Grand until the event in September. We will also be tasked to give our Mutt a makeover! During the Extreme Mutt Makeover, Rachel and our dog will have a few minutes to demonstrate basic obedience skills and showcase any special talents. The event culminates with people having the opportunity to adopt these great dogs. We hope our Mutt wins the ultimate prize – A NEW FAMILY!

Check out the video we submitted along with Rachel’s application:

Rachel\’s Nomination Video — Extreme Mutt Makeover

Did you know that behavioral issues are the number one reason that pet owners give their fur-babies to animal shelters? This sad fact is made worse because behavioral issues are also the leading cause of pet euthanasia. Too many pooches lose loving homes after easily modifiable bad behaviors are allowed to become problems. Rachel Cope, our resident dog trainer, doesn’t want any dog to become a sad statistic. At the Grand, she leads the Canine Obedience Academy which offers three fun training classes that help your dog become a well-behaved family member and an outstanding four-legged member of the community. Two of these offerings– The AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy and the Junior class– begin January 14.

Positive Reinforcement

The AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy, the Junior, and the AKC Canine Good Citizen classes focus on positive reinforcement as the tool to eliminate or redirect problem behaviors. Rachel believes that positive reinforcement has the added benefit of improving your bond with your four-legged baby, “It’s important for your dog to respect you. It may take a bit longer to train using treats and a clicker, but the results will be more positive than with negative enforcement.” Positive reinforcement focuses on rewarding good behavior, while not punishing bad deeds. The benefit of positive reinforcement is that this method strongly reinforces good behavior, and, unlike punishment, does not create fearful situations for your pooch. At the end of one of Rachel’s classes, you will have the tools to make your pup a happy member of your family.

1. S.T.A.R. Puppy Class

Puppies are like sponges, ready to absorb information. To take advantage of a young mind, we offer an AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy class for puppies 12 weeks to 6 months old. Together, you and your newest family member will learn basic commands such as sit, down, stay, come, and leave it. You’ll also learn about crate training, and how to redirect or correct behaviors such as chewing, nipping, and jumping.

Working in a class setting will allow puppies to socialize with other dogs and new people, a crucial step to build your pup’s confidence and manners. At the end of the course, owners and their puppies will take the official AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy test that will allow them to demonstrate their new skills. After passing the test, your pup will receive a certificate and medal from the American Kennel Club.

2. Junior Class

The Junior class is designed for “teenage” dogs, 7 months or older. Great for puppy class graduates and dogs that have not had any prior obedience school experience, this class focuses on the canine juvenile phase, which includes rebelliousness, separation anxiety and destructive behaviors such as digging and destroying furniture. This class will teach dogs to stay, come and leave it with distance, duration and distractions. An added benefit is that the course will provide socialization for dogs that are experiencing a fear period that usually occurs between 8 months and a year old. At the end of the course, your pooch will receive a certificate of completion and will have taken one more step to becoming a good canine citizen.

3. AKC Canine Good Citizen Class

The AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) prepares pet-parents and their dogs for an official ten-part test. The dogs will spend six weeks learning how to sit politely for petting and demonstrate calm behavior when mom or dad leaves the room. You’ll also improve their social skills around strange dogs, new people and loud noises. After the dogs earn their honorable certificate from the American Kennel Club, their names will go down in the AKC books as certified Canine Good Citizens.

The CGC certificate has many great benefits and can help your pup become an active member in the community. Many apartment leasing offices will allow your Canine Good Citizen dog to live on the premises even if they do not meet policy requirements. Some home insurance companies offer a discount if your pooch is CGC certified. Further, many therapy dog organizations require the dogs to be CGC certified before testing to earn their Therapy Dog License (TDL). If your dog g earns a TDL, you’ll both be able to provide joy and comfort in many nursing homes or schools. 

How to Speak Dog

What can you expect on your first day of class? You’ll begin by learning your part of the training process. Rachel begins by teaching canine psychology and the importance of learning to communicate with their dogs to be successful in training. One of the first lessons taught is how to get eye contact from a dog—which is crucial for bonding and building trust. You’ll also learn to communicate with your pet using body language. This will allow you to speak the same language as your dog, since body language is the primary way through which dogs talk. Rachel says that training is 80% pet-parent and 20% pup, “Without your hard work, your dog won’t maintain the good behaviors learned in class.”

With patience and plenty of practice, you can help your pooch become a wonderful member of your family.  Rachel says that it’s never too late to train—and a well trained dog is less likely to become injured or go through the process of re-homing. To enroll in one of The Grand’s training courses, call 817-989-PAWS. One of our helpful guest services team will be able to answer your questions  and guide you through the enrollment process and requirements.

Canine Obedience Academy Details

• The Puppy and Junior courses will last for 8 weeks, and meet each Friday evening,  6:30-7:30 pm starting January 14, 2011. Both classes are $200.
• The Canine Good Citizen courses will meet once a week for 6 weeks starting on April 1, and will meet Friday evening, 7:00-8:00pm. This class is $165.
• Each class will be an hour long.
• Each student must be fully vaccinated.
• Rachel wants her classes to provide plenty of individual attention, so classes are limited to 6 pups.

The Grand and Hulen Hills Animal Hospital are on Facebook! Go to www.Facebook.com and search Hulen Hills Animal Hospital. Follow us by becoming a fan. We look forward to getting to know you and your pets through this forum! In the upcoming year, our resolution is to get to know our community a little better. What you like, who you are, who your pets are and what you want from us!

Pets share our homes, our kitchens, and, in some cases, even our beds. Unfortunately, they might also be sharing some unwanted guests – WORMS! Unlike fleas and mosquitoes who sometimes give us a break during colder weather, these parasites can cause problems all year long! That’s why The Grand is so diligent about requiring our guests to have a stool sample test twice a year. We want to keep them and your family safe.

Most people don’t realize it, but most puppies and kittens are born with roundworms, hookworms or even both. In the vast majority of cases, these worms are passed from mom to the babies either during pregnancy or during nursing after birth. Left unchecked, these tiny monsters can cause poor growth, diarrhea, vomiting, or even death in young animals.

Adult pets aren’t immune to these parasites either. Pets who consume other animals’ feces, eat grass, or even those who catch and eat infected rodents might end up with bloody, runny stool or vomiting caused by the worms.

But beyond their immediate effects on the animals, there is an even more sinister side to these pests. Both roundworms and hookworms are zoonotic, meaning that they can be passed to humans. Children are especially susceptible.  The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that almost 14% of the U.S. population is infected with roundworms. That’s nearly 40 million people!

Why are we at danger? The answer lies in the life cycle of these parasites. After the larval worms make their way to the puppies’ digestive tract, they mature into adults over a 3 week period of time. Then, the scary part begins. Adult female worms begin shedding enormous numbers of eggs into the environment. It’s not unusual for more than 200,000 eggs to be shed every single day by a single female. Now, imagine a mother dog with a litter of 9 puppies. Including mom’s contribution, even if each pup had only one female worm, more than 2 million eggs are being deposited daily into the yard where the puppies…and your kids, play. Multiply that by the number of days until the pups get an initial de-worming and you can see why this is a problem that has not gone away.

Roundworm eggs are also very hardy, able to survive for about two years in the environment. This makes places such as dog parks or other areas where dogs roam, potential danger zones for becoming infested. In people, this infection causes an intense itching sensation along with redness and swelling along the migratory track of the hookworm larva. Dogs often present with hair loss on all four feet and thickened, damaged skin on the lower legs.

Due to the prevalence of these worms in our pets, Hulen Hills has developed “strategic de-worming” protocols as a means to help protect both people and pets. Starting with puppies and kittens, we routinely administer de-worming medication. In addition, we urge pet owners to use Revolution, a monthly heartworm prevention product, that contains medication to control these intestinal parasites. Both dogs and cats should use Revolution every month, all year round!

Parents should teach children to wash their hands after playing with the pets or playing in the yard where pets defecate. Since the eggs are microscopic, you won’t see any evidence on the kid’s hands, but a thorough washing will help insure these parasites won’t end up infecting your children. It’s also a good idea to check your pet’s stool sample routinely. The short life cycle of these parasites means that a severe infestation can occur quickly.

Also, many other parasitic worms and protozoans pose some danger to our pets and these can all be found with a routine fecal sample. As you know, we do a stool sample test twice a year during your pet’s wellness exam. We also administer a de-wormer twice a year, to kill any parasite that may be lurking. Our pets are a big part of our lives and we want to share as much as we can with them. Playing it safe and following our guidelines for de-worming could mean that you can share a much longer, healthier life together!

Our Playcare Pack had a blast at Reggie and Rockie’s Grand birthday party. Their mom worked with our team to arrange for yummy treats and fun parting gifts. The party was held on the lawn outside in the beautiful sunshine. It was a great day and a grand time had by all! If you’re interested in arranging a birthday party for your furry friends, just give us a call. Click here to view more party pics!

We love pets, and we know you do, too! To honor the special relationships we have with our furry family members, The Grand would like to share a column by Marti Healy that ran in the Aiken Standard. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Life Lessons from Katie (By: Marti Healy)

Katie is gone. And there is a Katie-spaced hole in my heart. She was my ancient, long-haired, calico cat, a true and loyal friend for the better part of 18 years. She was something over 21 years old. I had lost track of her actual age, I’m afraid.

She was asleep in her soft comfy bed, in the cool of the night, out under a waxing half moon and a handful of broken stars. It was exactly where she insisted on spending her final night on earth. Perhaps she sensed it was closer to God’s hand. And so he was able to take her gently, quickly, lovingly.

Katie was a frequent subject of my columns. In her later years, she was deaf as a stone, almost blind, struggled with incontinence and lived in an interesting, highly creative world just this side of reality. Wrapped in the cotton wool known as “feline dementia,” she frequently forgot who I was. She was often surprised that there seemed to be dogs living in her house – other times they simply didn’t exist to her. And, at the most unpredictable times, she sang what seemed to be very loud, very off-key, Broadway musical numbers in a voice that could peel wallpaper. Life with Katie was always interesting, never more so than as she progressed in age.

At first I searched methodically through all of her medical records, trying to find exactly how old she was. But since she was a foundling (as are all of my animal buddies) and fully grown at the time she came to live with me, her actual date of birth was always a best guess anyway. Eventually, I began to remember an observation I made long ago about cats and age … they simply don’t care. Age is completely and utterly irrelevant to them.

The dogs in my family have always celebrated their birthdays, of course. There are parties and funny hats and special doggy ice cream and presents to unwrap. Great fun. The cats, on the other hand, have never wanted parties per se. Treats should be daily and year-round. Hats should be worn only by dogs. And great fun can be had by simply watching said dogs wearing those hats.

Dogs love the silliness of birthday parties as well as the focused attention, it seems. After all, dogs are constantly celebrating important life highlights – from a mole uncovered to a delivery truck arriving, from dressed-up dinner guests in the dining room to newly planted flowers in the yard. Any occasion to dance and sing and be a bit of a show-off is greatly appreciated in the world of dog, I have found.

Life according to cats, however, seems to be much more in the moment, more fluid, one day to the next to the next to the next. The transitions from morning into night and back again seem to call to them with an unbroken rhythm. They sleep like liquid in the sun, then glide about in the shadows of the moon, all to an inner unceasing music of their own.

I’m sure Katie never gave a thought to or a whit about her age. She may have wondered why she didn’t find the ring from a milk bottle top terribly attractive of late – worth no more than a single poke and a shuttle under the refrigerator with it. She stopped jumping on the bed a couple of years ago, perhaps from old bones, perhaps from an increasing desire to be by herself. Her delusions appeared to keep her world interesting. And nothing took the place of a good long nap in a pool of golden sunlight or a quiet stroll under the silver-polished stars and a Carolina moon. Each was deeply appreciated one moment at a time.

I hope I have learned great lessons from both the dogs and the cats in my life. About celebrating all of the things that life gives us, as well as about living for this moment alone. They give me the best parts of themselves, always. I want to appreciate it adequately.

And, now from Katie, I greatly admire and accept with love this final breath lesson she has left me … about keeping life interesting, about dignity and peace and remembering to be near God’s hand.

Marti Healy is senior writer for The Design Group and author of “The God-Dog Connection” and a new novel, “The Rhythm of Selby.”

Congratulations are in order for our latest graduates of the S.T.A.R. Puppy Class. Olive, Kate, Brinkley, Avery, and Dodger passed the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy test with flying colors! As you can see from the photos above, the graduates celebrated with a well-deserved twilight pool party. We’re so proud!

The Grand Pet Resort & Salon is proud to announce our new partnership with Smug Mug, a high-quality digital photo sharing service. Powered by Smug Mug, you will now be able to access photos from The Grand. Just click on the “Photos” tab above and click on the Smug Mug image. We will upload new image galleries each week for you to enjoy. The best part is, you can download photos to your computer free of charge or purchase printed copies. Smug Mug offers you a wide-selection of print sizes and gifts, including T-shirts, mugs, mousepads, etc. You can customize any of these products with a special photo of your pet — just in time to buy thoughtful holiday gifts for friends and family!