Saving just one dog won’t change the world... but, surely, the world will change for that one dog...

Fall Pet Safety Tips october 2015 the official speaking of dogs Don’t forget about your four-legged • Chocolate, particularly dark monthly newsletter friends as you plan events around chocolate and baker’s chocolate, is Thanksgiving and Halloween! toxic to dogs and cats, as is the In this month’s newsletter Dogs looking for homes...... 2 artificial sweetner xylitol. Keep all Ask the trainer...... 4 We all love to indulge a little at candy out of your pet’s reach. Thanksgiving, but if you want to spoil Bits & bites...... 5 your pets a little too, make sure you do it • Keep dogs and cats inside, where Recent adoptions...... 7 safely. Keep these guidelines in mind: they’ll be safe. If possible, put them Event recap...... 8 in a separate room to make sure In memoriam...... 9 they don’t bolt out the door when • Cooked turkey, mashed potatoes, About Speaking of Dogs you’re greeting trick-or-treaters. unseasoned cooked green beans, and Speaking of Dogs is a Toronto-based cooked carrots are usually safe treats • If you’re lighting a pumpkin with a organization that launched in 2001 and is for cats and dogs, but gravy and candle, make sure it’s out of your pet’s dedicated to educating and enlightening turkey skin (which are high in fat) reach so they don’t burn themselves people about dogs through seminars, workshop and stuffing (which usually contains or start a fire. Young, curious cats forums, outreach and rescue. Our goal is to onions and/or garlic) are best kept to and dogs are particularly drawn to end cruelty, abandonment, mistreatment and your human family. the dancing lights of jack-o’-lanterns. homelessness of man’s best friend. Speaking of Dogs Rescue is the operating name of • Make sure any turkey you feed is fully • Don’t dress up your pet unless you Speaking of Dogs Rescue Program, a not-for-profit cooked and does not contain any know for sure it won’t bother them. charitable corporation in the Province of Ontario. bones. Cooked bones can splinter, If you’re not skilled at interpreting which poses a serious choking risk canine and feline body language, opt Contact Speaking of Dogs to pets. for a spooky collar or bandana instead! 1277 York Mills Road, Box 33508 Toronto, ON Canada M3A 3R5 • A little bit of a treat goes a long For more information you can visit Phone: 416-444-4190 | Fax: 416-444-7116 way! You may feel a little sluggish these sites: Email: [email protected] after a too much turkey and potatoes, www.aspca.org/pet-care/thanksgiving- Web: www.speakingofdogs.com but letting your pet overindulge can safety-tips give them serious gastrointestinal Newletter Team upset or even pancreatitis, which can www.animalleague.org/expert-advice/ Editor: Nancy Foran be life threatening. Monitor how health/articles/seasonal/thanksgiving- Design: Cathy Vandergeest at www.gawck.ca much you give your pet and make tips.html Contributors: Nancy Foran, Lorraine Houston, Kim Gladding and Emily Fisher sure guests don’t overtreat either. www.spca.bc.ca/pet-care/health-safety/ halloween-frights.html Newsletters Halloween is great fun for trick-or- If you no longer want to receive our newsletter, treaters of all ages, but pets often require www.aspca.org/pet-care/halloween- email [email protected], with special consideration on the big night. safety-tips “unsubscribe” written in the subject line. Here are some tips and tricks to make www.humanesociety.org/animals/ sure the evening is a treat! resources/tips/halloween-safety.html

Speaking of Dogs Newsletter | October 2015 | 1 dogs

featured dog:

looking

Lewislabrador retriever

large, senior, male for

Lewis has had quite the journey over the last two years, homes but his latest heartworm test was negative and our big boy is now ready for his forever home! Twelve-year-old Lewis enjoys napping at your feet, interacting with his canine foster brother and sisters, and rolling around on his back. He has been on a raw food diet, which has helped keep him at his ideal weight of 75 pounds (he was quite overweight when he first came in). Lewis has a few lumps and bumps that we have kept an eye on, but we haven’t observed any changes.

He greets his foster mom at the door and is always ready for a cuddle. His foster mom has not noticed any anxious moments, and he seems fine during thunderstorms and he is now out walking and building up some muscle fireworks. activity. Stairs are not Lewis’s favourite, but he does climb carpeted stairs to get to the bedroom. Lewis is good with other dogs, housetrained, walks well on leash, and is great in a vehicle. He has been on Can you give Lewis the forever home he so richly restricted activity while going through his recovery, but deserves?

A friend in need is a friend indeed Without a doubt, a dog is a real friend. Our dogs come in For complete information about the adoption process, all shapes and sizes, but they have one thing in common – please visit www.speakingofdogs.com/adoption-process they all need loving forever homes. Open your heart and For more information on each dog, simply click on your home to a rescue dog. You’ll be glad you did. their name.

Nebula Nina Gertie german shepherd mix siberian husky shih tzu / terrier mix large, young, male medium, senior, female small, adult, female

Speaking of Dogs Newsletter | October 2015 | 2 dogs

looking

for

homes

Sojo Quinn Mitchell labrador / shepherd mix pekingese / cavalier spaniel mix pomeranian medium, adult, male small, adult, female small, adult, male

Shasta Chase Tucker german shepherd dog beagle / basset hound mix beagle mix large, adult, female medium, adult, male medium, adult, male

Jada Chewy Millie german shepherd dog chihuahua shih tzu large, adult, female small, senior, male small, senior, female

Speaking of Dogs Newsletter | October 2015 | 3 ask More than enrichment. Look for a sport or activity vetting or other procedures. The best

that your dog seems to take particular joy candidate for herding will of course the Manners: Training in. That could be because they inherently be a herding breed; however, many as Enrichment enjoy the process, or it could even be that non-herding types have successfully trainer they were bred for that purpose. been taught to herd livestock. The major difficulty with herding is finding There are many different activities you access to livestock and a knowledgeable can get your dog involved in, and some instructor to ensure safe, happy dogs will require you to be far more involved and livestock. than simply going to a single training class. Here are a few that most owners Rally Obedience haven’t heard much about: Rally is a great introduction to obedience sports without the same Scent Detection Emily Fisher, CPDT-KA Scratch and pressure of competitive obedience. You can train your dog in scent Sniff Canine Services, Guelph, ON Rally is frequently taught in group- detection just for enrichment, for class formats and can be structured How much fun is teaching a dog not to competitive sport, or even as a career as anything from a fun sample class jump on people, to get off the couch, (for example, bed bug sniffing). You to building a solid foundation for and to stay off the counters? How about will teach your dog to look for a specific competition. Owners and dogs learn the stress of living with and training a odour and then “indicate” to you that various obedience movements with the reactive, aggressive, or fearful dog? they have found it, for example, by goal of navigating a course of 20-plus sitting in front of the location of the signs that indicate which movements Dog training is too often seen as a odour. The great thing about this sport to complete. The stations are primarily chore, or even as optional. There’s is that it requires very little space and obedience based but include aspects of a whole world beyond puppy can be trained in your living room. agility as well. socialization and basic manners. Training should be engaging and Tricks entertaining for both you and your Tracking is similar to scent detection Tricks is a broad topic and can be dog, giving each of you critical skills in in that it involves using scent to find anything from a simple paw shake to inter-species communication. something, be it a track or an item. A tracking dog will learn to use scent to a walking hand-stand. Tricks are follow a trail a person has travelled, and Enrichment is critical for all dogs, and the dog will “indicate” dropped items positive training can play a crucial role in a similar way to a scent detection in providing this for them. Mentally dog. Tracking requires a larger outdoor active dogs are happy dogs! Providing space in which to train. your dog with enrichment toys, such as Kongs and Nina Ottosson puzzle Treiball toys, is an excellent strategy to relieve Treiball is a relatively new sport that boredom, but it doesn’t compare to looks like a combination of herding and the relationship-building that happens soccer. Dogs are directed from a distance when you are actively engaging your to move several large exercise balls across dog in training. a playing field into a goal net. Any breed too often “poo-pooed” as or type of dog can participate in Treiball, being silly and unnecessary, The best training is based in the dog not only herding breeds. when they are actually an working to gain something they want excellent way to teach (and to have. That could be treats, toys, or Herding learn!) training skills even access to another activity they Many breeds of dogs have been bred without the pressure want to engage in. Training that is based specifically for herding ability. They of competition, in stopping a dog’s behaviour tends to will move livestock such as sheep, manners, or formal be stressful and frustrating for a dog, goats, and cattle across distances obedience. When shutting them down, and doesn’t act as and can separate individuals for ...Continued on p. 5

Speaking of Dogs Newsletter | October 2015 | 4 bits Bits & Bites UsedEverywhere. ...Continued from p. 4

com has introduced you think about it, everything we teach & new policies to help our dogs is “just a trick” in their mind! bites Simply click on a summary to be block puppy millers If you are stuck in a rut tricks can make whisked away to the internet page and other unethical training fun again. Did you know that where you can read the full story. breeders from you can even get titles in trick training? selling pets through their site. Freestyle Freestyle looks like a combination of Marc Bekoff, Video Bits and Bites obedience, tricks, and crazy dance professor emeritus moves. Owners will teach the tricks they of ecology and This video helps want to include and then put together evolutionary explain the rich way a routine to music to show off the dog’s biology at the dogs experience the ability to chain multiple tricks together University of world through their in one fluid performance. There’s so Colorado, discusses current research sense of smell. much room for creativity in freestyle! on psychological disorders in animals. Rally FrEe Pat Miller provides Rally FrEe is an up-and-coming guidance on “How This month’s new sport that combines rally and to Survive Your freestyle. A course is assembled with Dog’s Arousal recalls and signs at each station indicating which Biting.” alerts: movement is required. Unlike rally, it incorporates movements that would Blame the Deed, not the Breed • OC Raw Dog Chicken, Fish traditionally be used in trick training or August 29 is the 10th anniversary of Ontario’s On pitAugust bull ban, and the29th Toronto Humane Society and Produce raw frozen dog continues to speak out against this flawed freestyle rather than obedience. we markedlegislation. the food. We’re asking the government to repeal breed /Bikejoring/Urban 10thspecific anniversary legislation and instead focus on a community approach to bite prevention. From • Counterfeit Origen and Acana of Ontario’sbite awareness programs pit and teaching kids how These sports are great for the great to behave around dogs, to reducing aggression food is being made and sold in through proper socialization, training and spay/ outdoors enthusiasts among us, bullneuter ban. – there The are better ways to protect public safety and animal welfare. Asia and could make its way Toronto Humane both human and canine. These are Learn why breed specific legislation is flawed and here via online retailers. lend your voice to the cause. Send an email to Ontario’s Attorney General and ask her to repeal Ontario’s particularly good options for dogs pit bullSociety ban. and many other groups are still who are bred for running and pulling. campaigning to repeal this legislation. The dog is hitched to a bike, scooter, Meanwhile, the or a person on skis and learns to take Saskatoon SPCA is Countless volunteers and direction as they pull their owner. It’s taking in banned businesses help our Speaking critical to have a properly fitted harness that is designed for pulling. dogs from Ontario of Dogs dogs. We try to and giving them a recognize everyone in some /Weight Pull second chance at a way, at some time, and we These are two different sports involving loving forever family. have a periodic feature that teaching a dog to pull heavier weights, either dead weight or a cart. As with the A dog walker lets you know about the extra last sport, it is critical to have an expertly explains the many special efforts of some of the fitted harness that is specially designed reasons why she amazing people who support for pulling heavy weights. There’s hates invisible our dogs. Are you thinking significant risk of injury if an improperly fences. of a business that deserves a designed or fitted harness is used on a A Toronto Star big Speaking of Dogs shout dog pulling significant weight. report shows how out? Don’t keep that thought Are you excited to try a new activity with Toronto’s cats have to yourself! Share it with us at your dog? Contact your local positive- tougher lives than [email protected]. reinforcement trainer about classes, or the city’s dogs. search the web for a local organization for the sport that interests you.

Speaking of Dogs Newsletter | October 2015 | 5 Speaking of Dogs Scentsy Fundraiser Since 2001 Speaking of Dogs Rescue has helped transport, foster, vet, and re-home hundreds of dogs. The majority of the dogs the rescue admits are from shelters or are puppy mill survivors. They also have a strong focus on helping senior dogs.

Scentsy is a wickless, flameless candle. The warmers are available in almost every design and style so there is one perfect for your home! There are over 80 scents available to help you create your perfect atmosphere. There are also room sprays, Scentsy Buddies, car fresheners, and much more!!! Contact Ashley White today to place your order. 15% of all sales from Oct 1–31 will be donated to Speaking of Dog Rescue. shumpys.scentsy.ca [email protected] 289-927-2518 To guarantee Halloween products before Halloween, place order before Oct 15. These items are LIMITED!!!! recentaugust adoptions adoptions ll funds raised goll funds raised Pico Jake Louie Speaking of Dogs Newsletter | October 2015 | 7 2015 | October Dogs Newsletter of Speaking ogs must actively fundraise to assist the to ogs must actively fundraise escue. ogs R ovember newsletter will have even more info, info, more even have will newsletter he November all the dogs and everyone Speaking at hanks from of Speaking of D and the online auctions need our help, dogs who many A fundraisers. one of our largest are the dogs. for veterinarydirectlyto and care costs T view the auction to including details about how items and – most importantly bids! your – place T D Sally Tiffany Winnie ons of great ons of great T escue fall online auction will ogs R Olly Astrid

he Speaking of D ext Month! Next Is Auction Online ll Fa The ovember 8th to 14th, so mark your 14th, so mark your 8th to November be running from calendars! donated generously thank those who have like to We’d auction to off. have we items the many T pieces will be going under the hammer, including a will be going under the hammer, pieces hand-made quilt; beautiful jewellery; household items; golf clubs; various prints – and collars; boots, dog coats, and much more!

September adoptions: 2015 parents foster our to you thank A big for guardians new adoptive our and dogs a second these give loving helping chance. Tails Happy Happy event

recap

Woofstock Wags and Wiggles! It was a great Woofstock weekend, with tons of visitors to Speaking of Dogs Rescue’s booth. Huge thanks to our Woofstock volunteers, Lorraine H., Lindsay B., Katie S,. Mindy Z., Gail R., Patti A., Denise and Chris D., Kathy R., Kathy B., Sheri P., Evguenia P., Dixie R., and Kim G.

Speaking of Dogs Newsletter | October 2015 | 8 in

memoriam

Taz ose and John Moffat Loved by R November 1999 - septmeber 2015

Speaking of Dogs Newsletter | October 2015 | 9