Since the day I brought home my first dog, a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, I have known this to be true. I was rewarded for my belief when I asked my canine trainer friend, Allison Jamison Woosley, for some advice on keeping dogs mentally stimulated, and she responded with the very same phrase.

The reasoning is simple according to Jamison Woosley. “Consider being trapped inside a house with absolutely nothing to do for eight or nine hours. Dog’s can’t watch TV or read a book, or even dust or vacuum to keep themselves occupied.

I think most humans, after a nap perhaps, would go stir crazy. It’s no different for your dog, and your dog is asked to do this in many cases day in, day out up to five days a week.”

When dogs create something to break up the monotony, we usually consider the results to be destructive. They will tear up shoes. They will rip the stuffing out of your couch. They will spend all day barking.

My Corgi, Bailey, spent her days chewing through the baby gates we used to keep her confined to the kitchen area. Even if your dog does manage to behave for the hours you’re gone, as Jamison Woosley puts it, “By the time you get home from work they are likely to be wound up and hyper for any interaction, right when you are exhausted from a long day of work.”

The good news is that it’s really pretty easy to keep your dog occupied. If your dog is like most, acquiring food or treats is a great motivator. You can even turn your dog’s breakfast into a game that lasts for much of their morning. Several different dog toy and product brands make puzzle games for your dog. Instead of putting food in their bowl, you put the food or treats inside the puzzle, and your dogs will spend hours getting it out. My favorite product brand is Kong because most of their toys are tough enough to withstand a lot of chewing.

Jamison Woosley suggests there are less expensive ways of doing the same thing, using empty paper towel rolls with the ends folded, or an empty peanut butter jar. Of course both will likely be shredded by the end of the day, which is better than your shoes.

One of my favorite suggestions by Jamison Woosley is the “Find It” game, which she describes this way.

“’Find It’ means something is buried and they should seek it out.  Start easy by placing a treat on a chair and say ‘Find It.’  Offer praise when they get the treat. Eventually you can hide treats all over the house and when you leave, cue your dog to start the hunt game of ‘Find It’.”

Finally, if your dog is social, you might consider taking him or her to doggie daycare while you’re gone to work, or hiring a dog walker to break up the monotony and work out some excess energy. Even a few times a week can make a big difference.

For more on positive reinforcement training visit www.happydogky.com.

David Loignon is the owner of Home Buddies Premier In-home Pet Care. You can reach him via email: louisvilleeast@myhomebuddies.com or Online: www.myhomebuddies.com/louisvilleeast

Maybe you gave up smoking or joined a health club. Perhaps you resolved to eat out less or spend more time reading and less time in front of the TV. Those are all great resolutions, but I have one I promise will make you feel better than all of those and it’s much easier: Resolve to save a life. Sound daunting? It’s not.
No matter how little time, space or experience you have, you can help put an end to homeless pets in your community.

I know what you’re saying: You don’t have room to take in more dogs or cats. Or you don’t have any experience working with animals. The truth is you don’t have to have any of that, and in many cases, five minutes of your time could make a huge impact. The folks at Best Friends Animal Society, a national rescue organization based in Utah, offer up some great ideas to make a huge impact with just a little time. I’m sharing a few of my favorites.

Make your voice heard

Log on and join Voices for No More Homeless Pets. It takes two minutes, literally. After you sign up, you’ll get e-mail alerts when there are issues or ordinances being considered in your area. You will also receive a form e-mail you can personalize to your local lawmakers making your voice heard. Sign up at YourVoice.Bestfriends.com

Search or Shop Online

Sign up at sites like GoodSearch.com or AdoptAShelter.com, which donate their revenue from your clicks to the rescue group of your choice. It doesn’t cost you a penny, and it’s something you already do anyway.

Use Facebook

Love to spend time on Facebook? Well, put a few minutes of that time to good use. Simply LIKE the Facebook page for one or more of the local rescue organizations, such as The Kentucky Humane Society, Animal Care Society or No Kill Louisville. Those are just three of many. After you sign up, simply “share” or “like” their content on your page and you will help spread the word. If you’re really feeling energetic, ask to volunteer to help them update their pages. Fresh content means their posts for help and support will show up on more news feeds.

Clean your closets

Of course, this idea could help you accomplish two resolutions! Your local shelter probably needs a lot of things you’d never think of, but some of them are probably sitting unused in your closet. Items like towels and blankets and leashes or old crates your dogs don’t use anymore might be very helpful to a shelter trying to preserve its budget. If you want specific ideas, call one of the shelters to find out what they need and then start your spring cleaning a couple months early.  Also, you can take some of the clothes you don’t wear anymore to a consignment shop and donate the proceeds to a shelter or rescue group.

Adopt – Don’t Shop

This is by far the easiest idea. When and if it comes time to add a new furry member to your family, please adopt. I assure you, there is no better feeling than saving an animal’s life, and you will get back far more than you will give.

I told you the ideas were easy, and most of them take no more than five minutes of your time. And imagine this:  if each Voice-Tribune reader would donate five minutes of time, once a month we’d add hundreds of hours of volunteer effort to eliminating homeless pets. Just think what we could accomplish.

David Loignon is the owner of Home Buddies Premier In-home Pet Care. Contact him at louisvilleeast@myhomebuddies.com or www.myhomebuddies.com/louisvilleeast.

With pet care continuing to be one of the country’s strongest growing service industries, it’s no surprise that the technology world has an entire line of products directed specifically at you and me, pet parents.

There so many apps available, I decided to list a few of my favorites.

Please note the following apps are all iPhone apps; however, there are probably equivalent versions for Android and Blackberry devices.

Pet Notebook

This app basically keeps all of your pet’s information handy and in one place that is easily updated.

It stores information such as name, age, date of birth, along with ID tag or microchip numbers and license information. You can also store vet records and medications as well as including a photo of each pet. It’s $2.99 at Apple’s App Store.

Pet Phone

This app is similar to the Pet Notebook above, although more specifically targeted at your pet’s health.

In addition to your pet’s basic information you can find a vet in your area, track medications and dosages, keep tabs of vet appointments and even track your pet’s weight on a built-in graph.

It will even alert you when your pet is outside of his or her ideal range.

This app is $4.99.

Dog Park Finder

This is a great app if you travel with your dog or if you’ve moved to a new city and need to find a place to let Fido expend some energy and socialize.

Using your phone’s GPS, this app points you to the closest dog parks. It currently lists more than 6,000 dog parks and dog-friendly beaches, as well as more than 12,000 dog-friendly restaurants. It costs $1.99.

Pet Podcasts

Want to keep up on the latest pet trends and news?

Try subscribing the podcasts from Pet Life Radio. All the podcasts are free and cover topics from homeopathic pet health aides to how to help a newly-adopted pet adjust to living in your home.

Pet ID

My last entry isn’t an app. Instead it’s a high-tech solution to one of the most important aspects of pet care, making sure your pet has a traceable ID in case he or she ever goes missing.

How many of you have an ID tag on your dog or cat? Those of you who answered yes, how many have current information on that ID?

My guess is a lot of you need to update your pet’s tag. Rather than make a new tag each time you move or change phone numbers, how about keeping the same tag and updating the information online?

That’s the theory behind the new QR code IDs. Someone who finds your pet can simply scan the code with their smartphone and instantly get all your contact information, which you can easily keep updated online.

While there are several companies out there making and selling the new QR code IDs you might check out Pet Hub at www.pethub.com.

They not only sell the ID tags and collars, they also let you keep the information online for free.

They also offer a premium subscription service which offers shelter alerts and GPS mapping among other services.

David Loignon is the owner of Home Buddies Premier In-home Pet Care. You can reach him via email: louisvilleeast@myhomebuddies.com or Online: www.myhomebuddies.com/louisvilleeast.

Even if you’re a “dog person” who only plans on having dogs, it’s a great idea to teach your dog to be cat-friendly in order to avoid an unfortunate accident should your dog ever encounter the feline species.

Regardless of whether you’re just training or plan to create a “mixed household,” the most important thing to remember is patience.

You don’t need your dog to cuddle up with your cat on the first day to be successful.

The first meeting is very important, though. What’s critical is to ensure nothing bad happens, and that it’s not a negative experience for either animal.

This means the first encounter should be about seeing each other, either using a crate or some sort of separation device that doesn’t include tough physical restraint.

It’s also a good idea to make sure your dog is fed and exercised to help ensure he or she is relaxed during the meeting.

As a proponent of positive reinforcement training, I also recommend offering treats to your dog during the encounter. This will help ensure that meeting a cat is associated with a “good” experience and that your dog is rewarded for remaining calm.

If the initial reaction is aggression or agitation, stay calm, end the visit and try again later. Don’t scold your dog for getting excited or you’ll just reinforce the negative part of the experience.

You haven’t had a successful first step until both sides remain calm and relaxed.

If the first visit goes well, repeat it. Do this several times a day if possible until you get the same calm reaction from both animals.

Once you get to that point, move them closer. If you’ve been using crates, try a gate. If you’ve been using a gate try a leash, essentially getting them closer to physical contact for each progressive encounter.

It’s also important that you’re comfortable with each new step. If you’re not at ease, they will sense that and act accordingly.

Eventually, if you continue with successful steps, you’ll reach the desired goal of a mixed canine-feline household.

It’s important, however, to continue monitoring their interaction for a while after they’ve had free access to each other to ensure there are no signs of potential aggression or agitation.

It’s a good idea to have physical separation between your pets when you’re not around to monitor them until you’re completely comfortable with their relationship.

It’s also crucial to be realistic and to recognize if your dog is not going to remain calm around cats.

Some of the sweetest dogs just can’t fight their natural instincts around small, furry creatures that dart around quickly.

It’s better to recognize a situation that isn’t going to work than to force one and end up with an injury or worse to the cat.

For the record, cats with claws make much better mates for dogs. Sometimes it’s best for a dog to learn a healthy respect for the limits of play, even when their intentions are completely friendly.

A great training exercise for any new puppy coming into your house is to learn about cats and their boundaries, whether they’re in your home or not.

Ask a friend or neighbor who has a cat to help if that’s an option.

David Loignon is the owner of Home Buddies Premier In-home Pet Care. You can reach him via email: louisvilleeast@myhomebuddies.com or Online: www.myhomebuddies.com/louisvilleeast.

That’s not because I am easily annoyed by dogs that don’t behave. Anyone who knows my girls, Sadie and Sophie, knows they demonstrate some poor manners from time-to-time.

But I also know well-behaved dogs are less likely to end up in a shelter, so every time I help someone teach their dog manners, I’m hopefully helping eliminate pet homelessness.

To that end, you may also know that I believe exercise is one of the best ways to put your dog on its best behavior. Dogs with excess energy rarely mind their manners.

I always advocate walking with your dog for exercise. It not only burns off that unwanted energy, but it’s a great way to bond with your pet.

Some dogs, however, need much more exertion, and if you’re not a runner, then a game of fetch can be the right answer.

But what do you do if your dog prefers tug to fetch and will retrieve the ball, but like many, won’t give it back?

The answer is a fairly simple training game that teaches your dog to give in order to receive.

Start with a toy the dog can hold one end of while you hold the other. Entice your dog to grab the toy by shaking it and pulling it away to pique his interest.

Then say “take it,” and let your dog grab an end. Keep holding your end while he mouths and plays with it.

Now it’s time to teach him to give the toy back to you.

Say “give” and offer a treat in trade for the toy. Most dogs will opt for the treat and let go of the toy. If not, try higher value treats, such as liver snacks or peanut butter.

Don’t jerk the toy away when your dog lets go; just hold it right where it was so he doesn’t feel like he lost by letting go.

When your dog lets go, offer praise and then give him the reward. Immediately offer the original toy back, saying “take it!” Praise him again with a “good, take it” when he grabs on, and let him play with the toy while you keep hold of it too.

Repeat this several times, ending with “take it,” and allowing your dog to keep the toy.

Once this game is learned, apply it to the act of fetching. If your dog won’t give up the toy, simply sit down and start reading a magazine. Don’t look up from your magazine until he touches your hand with the toy, trying to give it to you.

This might take a while, but with time, your dog will realize that you’re not interested in playing “keep away.”

Don’t let your dog turn this into a competition. If he won’t “give,” quit playing and go back to reading. The game is played by your rules, not your dog’s desires.

This may mean you’ll be throwing fewer toys or balls in the beginning, but once he catches on, he’ll play the game your way. Be patient. It will pay off.

David Loignon is the owner of Home Buddies Premier In-home Pet Care. You can reach him via email: louisvilleeast@myhomebuddies.com or online at www.myhomebuddies.com/louisvilleeast

The first is that a 45-pound dog will eat far more candy bars than you can imagine. She will eat them, wrapper and all, which may lead you to believe that she only ate a few. And you can determine the actual number eaten, only if the bag displays the quantity. Ours did. We counted. She ate 54 pieces of mini Snickers, Milky Ways, Twix bars and Peanut M&Ms, still in their packaging.

I also learned that you can never be too careful or too thorough in keeping dangers like a bag of chocolate from your dog. Despite the usual safeguards and the fact that Sadie had never shown interest in getting human food off a table, this time she decided to do just that.

With Halloween coming up, I felt it was worth sharing my story with you as well as a few other tips to help keep your pets safe for Halloween.

Tip 1:  Make sure your dog or cat doesn’t run away on Halloween. Between the constant doorbell ringing, people dressed up in costumes and you being distracted, Halloween is a big night for lost dogs and cats. The combination of all these factors could lead to your pet’s heightened anxiety, and a frightened pet may do things you’d never expect under normal circumstances. If you have any doubt as to your pet’s reaction to the likely events of the evening, make sure you put them in a closed room until the activity settles down.

Tip 2: Make sure your pet’s identification is in place and up to date. If your dog or cat doesn’t wear an ID tag, now is the time to get one. If the tags aren’t up to date, get a new one and be sure to include your mobile phone number and email address. Finally, if your dog or cat does not have an embedded microchip, now is the time to have your vet insert one. If your pet does get out of the house or yard during all of the Halloween hubbub, these precautions will increase the likelihood of a safe return home.

Tip 3: Keep your pet away from carved pumpkins and lighted jack-o’-lanterns. Unlike chocolate, pumpkin is not necessarily poisonous for animals; however, it can cause an upset stomach. It’s also important to make sure lighted jack-o’-lanterns are well out of reach of curious noses and wagging tails. The result of not following this tip could be a singed tail or much worse.

Tip 4:  We all know just how cute a dog or cat in costume looks, but make sure they don’t mind being decorated. Despite all the adoring comments you will get on your Facebook page, wearing a costume may actually be very stressful for your pet. If you insist on dressing them up, keep the duration short, maybe just long enough for those pictures.

Here’s hoping you and your pets have a happy – and safe – Halloween!

David Loignon is the owner of Home Buddies Premier In-home Pet Care. You can reach him at louisvilleeast@myhomebuddies.com or online at www.myhomebuddies.com/louisvilleeast.

Unfortunately, many pet owners are risking their pets’ well-being and longevity by over-feeding and under-exercising them. But don’t take my word for it.  Dr. Ray Watson of Goose Creek Animal Hospital tells me pet obesity is the No. 1 problem he sees in his patients on a daily basis.

“Obesity leads to locomotion problems, specifically osteoarthritis,” Watson said. “It also leads to Type I diabetes mellitus.  This is a very serious and very complex disease I’d like no pet owner to have to endure.”

The good news is that pet obesity is also the most preventable disease Watson treats.  It’s as simple as reducing the number of calories your pet takes in every day. That can be done in one of several ways.

You can simply measure out less food than you normally do each time you feed your pet, or, as Watson prefers, you can switch your cat or dog food.

“The most efficient manner for a pet to lose weight is to switch to a lower calorie diet,” Watson explained. “The dog and cat food market has an abundance of low-calorie diets available.”

If you are going to switch your pet’s food, remember to do it slowly over the course of several days or even weeks. An abrupt change in your pet’s diet can cause serious stomach issues.

It’s also important to remove processed human food from your pet’s diet. I avoid using the term “people food” because those foods human beings should consume in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle and weight are often just fine for pets.

In the case of dogs, substituting frozen green beans or thawed baby carrots for other treats can be a healthy weight-loss tool and can help you avoid feeling  guilty when you stop sharing other items on your plate with your pooch.  Aside from these types of natural treats, it’s important to regiment the number of calories your pet is consuming, and offering table scraps won’t help in this regard.

Watson said it’s important to monitor your pet’s weight as you try to reduce those excess pounds and strongly recommends regular consultation with your veterinarian and regular, recorded pet weight-ins on the same scale.  This provides an accurate assessment of your program and will keep you both on track.

Adding more exercise to your pet’s daily routine is also a great way to improve your pet’s weight and health. It might also do wonders for your own well-being.

It’s not really surprising that weight is a major health issue for our pets because  it’s a major health  issue for many of their owners. The key difference is that pets can’t choose their own food and a healthy diet. They depend on us to do that for them.

For more information on Goose Creek Animal Clinic, visit www.myvetonline.com/goosecreek.

David Loignon is the owner of Home Buddies Premier In-home Pet Care. You can reach him via email at louisvilleeast@myhomebuddies.com or online at www.myhomebuddies.com/louisvilleeast

Unfortunately, not every dog is a natural when it comes to behaving perfectly on a leash, and that can sabotage the experience for both of you. If your dog is a leash puller, chances are you don’t find walking enjoyable. The less enjoyable for you, the less likely you are to grab that leash, and that lack of exercise for your dog may lead to other bad behaviors.

So instead of giving up on the walk, teach your pup to walk correctly.

Training your dog to walk correctly is a pretty straightforward process, according to certified professional trainer, Allison Jamison Woosley, who owns Happy Dog Positive Reinforcement Training here in Louisville.

“To stop a dog from pulling on lead, the pulling has to stop working, which means that when your dog pulls on lead, you have to either stop or turn 180 degrees and go in the opposite direction,” Woosley said.

It’s really a two-step process. The wrong behavior takes away the reward. The right behavior brings a reward. Woosley said a pocketful of small treats will be a big help.

“When I first start training a loose-leash walk, I always set the dog up for success, which means I make sure to correctly position the dog and human so the dog is certain to get a few quick rewards,” Woosley said.

Straightforward doesn’t necessarily mean quick. If your dog has been a puller for years, it’s going to take time, practice and mostly patience to transition him or her into a good walker. In the meantime, Woosley recommends a “gentle leader” head collar to minimize a great deal of pulling.

“There is no substitute for training, but using something like the gentle leader can usually speed up the training process,” she said.

I used a gentle leader with my Labrador retriever mix, Sophie, and it made walks more fun almost instantly. The simple, light-weight device, which attaches to any standard leash, made her easy to stop. The gentle leader gives you control of your dog’s head, just like a halter does with a horse. The body tends to follow the head.

When Sophie walks calmly at my tempo, the gentle leader is slack, and in addition to being more comfortable, Sophie gets lots of praise. It took practice, though, to get those results. And please note: Your chances of success drop way down if you’re trying to train one dog while walking others. Training is best done one dog at a time.

Woosley finds that most dogs will show significant improvement with two weeks of consistent practice. She also warns that you should avoid those flexi leashes that expand and contract as the dog moves away from you.

“They actually reward pulling against tension. If the dog pulls, it’s rewarded with more freedom and room to explore,” she said.

The bottom line: Exercise is good. It’s good for your dog. It’s good for you. So don’t give up the walk just because your dog doesn’t have good leash manners. Your dog can’t train herself, so she’s counting on you.

For more on positive reinforcement training, visit www.happydogky.com.

David Loignon is the owner of Home Buddies Premier In-home Pet Care. You can reach him via email at louisvilleeast@myhomebuddies.com or online at www.myhomebuddies.com/louisvilleeast

Each year an unknown number of dogs needlessly lose their lives while their owners run a few errands or shop. There is no accurate count because only 14 states have passed legislation making it illegal to leave an animal in an unattended vehicle. At this time, Kentucky and Indiana are not among the 14 states that have outlawed this practice.

I have to believe the vast majority of cases are the result of pet owners not realizing how quickly the temperature inside a car can rise – even on what seems like a mild day. Don’t take my word for it though. The dog-loving folks at Stanford University found that when it’s 72 degrees and sunny on the outside, the inside of a car can reach 116 degrees in one hour.

A 2007 study by San Francisco State University  found that it takes only 20 minutes to heat the inside of a car to 109 degrees when it’s  80 degrees outside. They also found that cracking the windows – even all four of them – does relatively little to change rising temperatures inside a vehicle.

Your dog cools himself in two ways: by panting and through the sweat glands on the pads on his feet. If the air temperature in your car is 109 degrees, panting won’t cut it. With the sun shining down on those leather seats, there won’t be any help from the pads on his feet either. Any person who has worn shorts, jumped into a hot car and burned his or her legs on a hot seat can attest to that.

So now that you know not to leave your dog in the car for just a few minutes, what should you do when you find a dog left alone by someone who doesn’t understand the danger? The first step is to try to find the owner. If it’s obvious where the owner went, such as into a specific business, see if he or she can be paged. Give the car description and plate number.

If you do find the owner, avoid being confrontational. Instead, be educational. You’re much more likely to change their habits by being friendly and helpful. You can even refer them to the “My Dog Is Cool” campaign, which has a great website with lots of information including very inexpensive pamphlets and fliers that can do the educating for you. You’ll find information online at www.my­dogiscool.com

If you can’t find the dog’s owner, you have a choice to make. If you feel the dog is in danger, the Louisville Metro Police Department will respond to a call for a dog left in a hot car. If you don’t call police, consider leaving a “My Dog is Cool” flier on their windshield. You can help educate one more dog owner and save one more pet from suffering or worse.

David Loignon is the owner of Home Buddies Premier In-home Pet Care. You can reach him via email at louisvilleeast@myhomebuddies.com or online at www.myhomebuddies.com/louisvilleeast.

What led to that anger was watching the news and seeing stories about animals being abused, abandoned and neglected here in a city he loves.

“I couldn’t watch the news anymore, so I decided to stop being pissed, and get off the couch,” Moody said.

That’s when the power of social media took over. Moody did one simple thing: He wrote a post on Facebook asking if there were any local bands or musicians that wanted to play a benefit concert to raise money for No Kill Louisville’s “Hope Fund” for abused and neglected animals. Since Moody just happens to be a member of one of Louisville’s best-known and loved rock bands, Jefferson TARC Bus, his post made it to the right audience.

“All I wrote was, ‘Who’s In?’ and the response was amazing.” Moody said the great thing was that he never really had to go soliciting. “This thing was organic. It grew all by itself.”

Everything really came together when Phoenix Hill volunteered its venue to host the event. The No Kill Louisville Benefit Concert has turned into a 10-hour, three-stage music festival with 21 bands scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 28. The lineup features Jefferson TARC Bus, of course, along with notable names such as 2 Far Gone, Mike Owens, Van Waylen and Talk of Spring, just to name a few.

The response has been enthusiastic from more than just Louisville’s musical crowd. Local businesses have offered to sponsor the event and donate items for a silent auction. So far, more than 600 people have confirmed they’re attending.

“I always try to shoot high and hope for the best,” Moody said. He is hoping the effort can raise $20,000 for No Kill Louisville and added that organizers would like to make it an annual event.

The doors at Phoenix Hill open at 2 p.m., and the last bands are scheduled to wrap up at midnight. Moody said this event is for all musical tastes, with bands playing rock, metal and country. For a complete list of bands and times, visit www.facebook.com/NKLBenefitShow.

Moody also said the show is a family event with kids under the age of 14 getting in free.

“It’s a chance for everyone to do something,” he said. “All you have to do is show up, and if you can’t show up, just go to the No Kill Louisville website and donate. When it’s all over, we all get to feel good because we did something.”

Benefit Concert for No Kill Louisville

Benefits: No Kill Louisville – The Hope Fund
When: Sunday, Aug. 28, 2 p.m.-midnight
Where: Phoenix Hill Tavern, 644 Baxter Ave.
Tickets: $10 for adults; children under 14 free
Info: www.nokill-louisville.com