SERVING OUR COUNTRY...PIT BULL POLICE DOG...PTSD

While we might sometimes question the causes they fight for, we owe our gratitude and respect to the men and women who put their lives on the line in service to our country. Among my personal circle of heroes, here’s a heartfelt ‘thank you’ for dear friends Joe Simone, Dan Cohen, and John Dellasala, and  a prayer that our leaders will think long and hard before putting any our fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters in harm’s way. While not nearly as numerous as two-legged servicemen and women, war dogs continue to play a key role in our nation’s defense. As Josh Weiss-Roessler noted in a Cesar Millan's recent newsletter, after months and sometimes years of rigorous training meant to hone their already keen senses, canine soldiers are tasked with guarding installations, capturing the enemy and detecting explosives and other contraband. But what happens to these warriors when their hitch is up? In the past, they were ‘retired’ – euthanized – when they became too old or unable to perform their duties. Thankfully, a law passed in 2000 allows for the adoption of phased out war dogs. Prospective adoptees and their would be owners must both be evaluated to insure a smooth transition to civilian life, which means creating an environment that provides lots of structure and discipline. Interested in taking on the challenge? Contact the Warrior Dog Foundation. 

Thank you all!

On a related note, two paws up to canine recent police academy grad Kiah, who will now team with Officer Justin Bruzgul working to detect drugs and locate missing persons for the Poughkeepsie, NY Police Department.  While the vast majority of law enforcement dogs are either German shepherds or Belgian Malinois, pit bulls are a rarity. As the recent NY Post story rightly points out, the breed’s reputation for violence is “undeserved” and the result of human ignorance and neglect.  Recent studies have found no correlation between dog breeds and dog attacks, and they have shown that specific breed bans (BSL), like the one being considered in Montreal, fail to reduce dog attacks. 

Kia and partner Officer Justin Bruzgul

Sadly, many military and law enforcement personnel can suffer from PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, a condition that sometimes affects their canine partners as well. But even pampered pets, whose closest brush with danger is a feisty squirrel or a TV shootout, can fall victim to the disorder. Writing for Cesar's Way, Nicole Pajer says, “Dogs can be thrown into a state of extreme stress over a variety of different experiences. Common causes may include weather - natural disasters like hurricanes and tornadoes, car accidents, Household accidents, and physical or emotional trauma during interactions with people or other animals.” Indeed. For nearly a year after he joined our home, Tanner couldn’t stomach (literally, as the gallons vomit flowed) riding in the car. Why? Our best guess is that he’d been abused – perhaps as a bait dog for a fight ring – and associated the abuse with the motor travel. Even now, after years of patient rehabilitation, the July 4 fireworks evoke a yearly nightmare, along with popping champagne corks and gusty Santa Ana winds. They were blowing the other evening and Eugenie woke the next morning to find him missing from his normal spot on the bed in my office. Instead, he was precariously perched on the desk, his facing the corner. Scratching her head, she helped back him down. He spent the rest of the day looking tired and out of sorts, wrung out by his encounter with the 'devil winds'.

Tanner in a calmer moment

HOW TO GRAB YOUR DOG'S ATTENTION…ASSESSING QUALITY OF LIFE

Much as it pains our humans, we dogs don’t live and die on your every whim. That’s why we’ll refuse to ‘come’ when asked to leave the dog park (our 30-minute respite from domestic incarceration), or refuse to ‘stay’ when neighborhood squirrels invade our turf. According to Cesar Millan, a key step in getting us to do your bidding is training us to look at you. “If you can get your dog to focus on you instead of everything else going on around him, it will be easier to communicate with him and teach him other commands — not to mention getting him to ignore that taunting squirrel, far-off bark, or daily visit from the mailman. In addition, that look is also helping to build your relationship with your dog.” To make that happen, he suggests the following approach: Choose a word or phrase to focus your dog. Sit or stand near your dog and hold a treat close to your eyes. Say your attention word and, when the dog looks at you, reward him with the treat. Later on, you should add in a hand signal to accompany the word. Once your dog get the hang of it, begin phasing out the treats but not the affection for completing the task. Like with many things, practice is the key to mastery but don’t tire your dog and never punish him for failing. 

You have my attention, now where's my treat?

A few weeks back, we wrote about knowing when it’s time to say ‘goodbye’. In his recent newsletter, Cesar offers a practical guide to assessing your dog's quality of life and how it might impact the decision to euthanize or not. Among the categories to consider are Hurt, Hunger, Hydration Hygiene, Happiness and Mobility. If your best friend scores very low in most or all of them, then it might be time to say goodbye. When in doubt, consult your veterinarian. 

Connie & 'Ava'

Our friend and rescue volunteer Connie Kruse recently contacted us about Ava, a 6-year old stray pit bull mix from the Santa Barbara County (CA) shelter who she's trying to place. Ava was a stray recently suffered a stoke, but managed to bounce back nearly all the way. She still needs medication to control her condition but she's otherwise in good health. This pretty 90-lb. girl is playful and loving with people and potty-trained. They are looking for a foster or an adopter  who can love and care for her. If you are interested or know anyone who is, please contact STACY SILVA (stacy.silva@sbcphd.org) or call Connie Kruse at 805-878-8017. And please share this with your contacts. You stepped up big-time for Rex last year (3 tries before he found his forever home). Now we need to save Ava. It takes a village to save a dog!