February 2020 A Behavior & Training Communiqué from Dawn Kovell Susan Friedman Seminar Where is she now? Personality: • Loves to tug! Whether it’s with her Recap – February 15-17 Artemis (“Artie”), formerly known as human or her Frenchie brother, it’s her During her three-day "Behavior Buzz" Gypsy, has a new life! This eight-month- favorite game. seminar, Susan discussed how to create old spunky puppy got herself into Bite Q effective behavior solutions using the while playing fetch with a Dog Pet Pal. • Really enjoys working and doing most positive, least intrusive methods. After Bite Q she was adopted and something. She’s taking to her flyball fundamentals well and has already Here are some highlights: returned two weeks later. started to love the game of Barn Hunt. During the topic "The Learning Planet" She’s very smart and fun to train. she demonstrated how all life forms • Likes to take her toys out to potty. change their behavior based on They’re either in her mouth, or right experience and use their environment beside her for safe-keeping. to achieve desirable outcomes. • She’s a sock thief. If she’s feeling really During "Control the other Primary bold she’ll take a shoe too. They’re not Reinforcer" participants learned how to destroyed, just put elsewhere. You may enhance learning and welfare by have to look in the backyard to find it. increasing the animal's control over Slippers are her favorite. I no longer their valued outcomes. have a matching pair. Other topics included how to address • She sighs a lot. It’s like she’s a true outdated and misunderstood behavior teenager rolling her eyes. The older she science. Dr. Friedman discussed Kara, one of Dawn’s flyball teammates, gets the more vocal her sighs. She “can’t was tipped off that we had a high drive even” at the end of the day. puppy who might get herself into more trouble if she didn’t have a job and an experienced handler. Kara adopted her the day she was returned! Here are some interesting things her new guardian found out about Artie/Gypsy: Breed: We got her breed tested and the results came back that she was 33% Australian Cattle Dog, 23% American Bully, 11% German Shepherd, 8% Chow, and others. All in all, a Crazy Cattle Mix. removing labels such as "he barks because he is stubborn;"; to more News Briefs & Links effective methods for behavior change (ABA); to change the environment to While we are all hunkering down in our various communities, we’d like to provide desired outcomes. offer some links to interesting articles and videos that will inform and amuse. Approximately 50 people participated including zoo staff, shelter staff, dog trainers, veterinarians, and animal rescue groups. Dr. Susan Friedman is a psychology 10 Ways Animal professor at Utah State University. Shelters are Upping Warehousing Isn’t For more information about her work C-Net review of high Their Game Working – North visit http://www.behaviorworks.org/. tech dog collars New trends in Carolina rescue, Photo by: Bonnie Jay features Dawn Kovell, animal care; Brother Wolf, works http://www.estarbird.com her dogs, and Marin features Colorado’s toward placement Humane Board Larimer Humane through behavior member and C-Net Society (LHS) evaluations, but For Upcoming Events see page 6 tech guy, Brian Cooley. there are hard truths to consider. News Briefs continued on page 2 Cat Tales and Mews News Rosie’s Story: Unfortunately, Rosie C was a bit like a "rose" to them that day. Those strong yo-yo in her test results – sometimes up opinions were not always helpful in Extra time and medical help and sometimes down. It took several getting her adopted, but she also had and finally out the door! months of her twice-a-day medications very strong opinions about who were Over 12 years old, badly in need of a to stabilize her enough for her to go to her favorites. dental, a lump on one shoulder, lab the adoption floor. During her wait, and Fortunately, she bonded especially well work indicating possible early or chronic when she had returned from her foster with one of our volunteers who took kidney disease, a bit overweight and home, Rosie C was an Extra Care Pet Pal Rosie C to her very last forever home. previously diagnosed with hyper- favorite. She was always the first to be Rosie C came to us on March 14, 2019 thyroidism. That would accurately visited and received extra love from the and was adopted February 9, 2020. entire staff. describe our Rosie C. Yes--an 11-month shelter stay! What it doesn't describe to you is the Finally came the day when Rosie C extraordinary efforts by the Marin could be moved up to the adoption floor. Many of the Extra Care Pet Pals Humane staff to make Rosie C the Cat Behavior Help needed adoption success story that she is. continued to visit her even as she made new friends with the adoption A senior Cat Pet Pal supply organizer: Our long- muted calico time CPP organizer Francess, is taking a with white well-deserved break. If you have a toes in front penchant for organization and about and white two free hours a week, we can use your socks on her help. This volunteer checks that the back legs, CPP’s have the tools that they need to Rosie C melted do their work in the Adoption hearts Rooms. They also ensure that each wherever she room has wand toys, Feliway, clean went. She was grooming tools, blank CPP notes, pens, surrendered etc. and restock as necessary. Timing along with her is very flexible. senior Cat Teaching Assistant: We need help housemate setting up for cat classes and checking Jack C (they people in; no cat experience is were not necessary but you get the benefit of particularly Annette, one of Rosie’s devoted fans made the final move! learning about cat behavior. There are bonded) who typically two classes a month on went out the Sundays. Hours are 12- 3. door fairly quickly in May 2019. Rosie C, counselors and the adoption pet pals. Despite being a "muted" calico, Rosie C with her catalog of medical issues, spent Please email Beth at: much of her time in a foster home while still had her "diva" moments on the adoption floor. With a quick swat she [email protected] if you have awaiting her dental and regulating her questions or are interested in either of hyperthyroidism. Kudos to her foster would let some potential adopters know that she was not extending a these positions. who regularly brought her in for thyroid testing! News Briefs & Links Continued from page 1. Reina made her debut Bruno was adopted on ABC7’s Perfect Pet. Lives changed forever… February 15 but not She was an absolute a video of former lab before he rocked it charmer! And this Chimps being released to at a Shelter Scents sweet girl was a sanctuary supported by session. View the adopted 3/8/19. Marin Humane Board video set to music. member Bruce Wagman’s law firm. Featured in New York Post. Behavior and Training News Shyotes! Rick update Our little Rick found his Adoption Consults – Toby! new forever home. Rick came to us In February, ten shelter dogs came in for We took in a litter of five, four-month totally shut down and shy. After office free adoption dog consultations. One old puppies from Solano County Animal fostering and giving him lots of Pet Pal was Toby, our partially blind dog. After Shelter. Joann Pittelli nicknamed the love, Rick started to come out of his over a month of trying to make it work, puppies the Shyotes, pronounced shell enough for a family of adopters his adopter came to the conclusion that shyohtees, (German Shepherd X to fall in love with him. he was just not the right fit for her dog, Coyotes). That is what they looked like another Marin Humane adoptee. and pretty much summed up their personalities, shy with a wild side. We learned more about Toby though. His adopter reported, “Toby raced Charleston was the most reserved of around the house running into my other the litter and with some help from a dog Yogi – but he’s blind! You say, he donated stroller we got him out with couldn’t see her – well, I don’t think Jake, Larry Carson’s dog, and soon that’s true. He never runs into walls or Charleston was walking and furniture and he has a very well- investigating on his own. developed sense of smell, so I think our little Toby is a bit of a bully.” We’re sure the right home is out there for Toby. It just may not be a home with another dog or at least not a small dog. After a month of watching her dog Yogi You can see he found a pal with the hide, crouch and shake every time Toby adopter’s dog. Rick is a sweet dog who came into the room, the adopter just wanted to find the friend he thought it would be best to return him needed. As you can see, he did! and we think it was the right choice. Reese – A little sweet, but through the towel! But sit on the ground also a little salty! with her and Reese would be all over Charleston traveled in style at first, but soon you looking for love and attention.