PAW PRINTS. Almost Home Foundation. Our featured pets. In this issue

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1 Almost Home Foundation PAW PRINTS Winter 2018 P.O. Box 308, Elk Grove Village, IL Our featured pets Hope Homer In this issue 1 Featured Dog & Cat 2 Volunteering at the Kennel 3 Ask Home & Hope 4 Clicker Training 5 A D O P T Meet Luisa! This sweet girl was surrendered to a Southern Illinois Animal Control facility. Her family said they were going through a separation and no longer wanted her. They had no money to care for her or even feed her. Poor Luisa was dropped off with a terrible skin infection due to neglect. She was in so much pain that she would cry when touched. As it turned out, Luisa had fleas that were left untreated for a very long time. The flea bites along with Luisa's scratching caused painful skin inflammation and a bad infection. She was immediately treated upon arrival to Almost Home and is doing great. So, here's what we know about Luisa. She was raised with children and loves other dogs (cats unknown). She can get overly excited when first meeting some dogs, but with a bit of guidance, she is fine. She is housebroken, super sweet, smart, and loves to go on long walks. Oh, and she absolutely loves to cuddle. She is about 1½ years old and weighs about 50 pounds. We are looking for an active family with a lot of time to pamper this poor girl, and give her the life she deserves. Please contact Jackie at jaccapps@sbcglobal.net if you are interested in this beautiful girl. Meet Milo! Milo is just over oneyear old. He was recently relinquished to us from his owner who unfortunately had medical problems and was no longer able to take care of him. You cannot see from the picture but Milo is a very attractive boy. He has a beautiful white tuxedo chest and adorable white feet which stand out on his dark black fur. His fur is very soft and shiny. Milo just loves people and also gets along well with other cats. He would be suitable for any family as long as they didn t have young children. This is because when he gets excited, he tends to play rough and tries to give love-bites. He hasn t been exposed to dogs. Milo is very friendly, but it will probably take a couple of weeks for him to feel comfortable with you. He has spent a lot of time in a crate at the adoption center so when he goes back to his foster s home, he flies up and down the stairs and all over the house, runs to the older cats and kisses them, and chases his toy mice. He finally feels free!! For more information about Milo, please cats@almosthomefoundation.org

2 Almost Home Foundation PAW PRINTS Page 2 Volunteering at the kennel At AHF we re very happy to have our own kennel. That gives us a chance to rescue extra animals that might be left behind in kill shelters when we don t have enough foster families to go around. However, space alone does not save these animals. These are living creatures with needs that require constant attention to keep them alive and healthy. They need to be walked several times a day. Food and medicine and water must be given. Their dog kennels need cleaning, and blankets, dishes, etc., need washing. A little love, cuddling and play-time would be an added bonus. For that we need volunteers. AHF is an allvolunteer organization. Not a single task, or rather act of love, is paid for. We cannot operate the kennel without your help. And so we re appealing no BEGGING for your help. Can you volunteer? Do you have a friend or relative who might be willing to help? It could be for as little as two to three hours a week. Of course, we d be happy to accept more if you can spare it. Think about it. It might make all the difference in the world to a dog when you open that door, slip on a leash and guide him to the outdoors. After a walk, you could sit and play with him in one of our large outdoor kennel runs. Or just hold and cuddle him. Not only would you help us minister to his physical needs, you d be helping to socialize him and get him emotionally ready to greet the family who ll come looking for a dog to adopt. And if you ve been thinking of getting a pet, you ll get some insight into the care and responsibilities that go with the love and companionship. You ll meet some wonderful animals. You might just fall in love with one of them. If your child is pestering you for a pet and they are old enough, encourage them to volunteer. If you volunteer together, you ll have the opportunity to watch how they interact with the animals. Best of all, you ll leave knowing you ve made a major difference in the animal s day and helped us be able to save more animals. To volunteer, go to our website: Almosthomefoundation.org and click on VOLUNTEER on top. Go to Volunteer Application where you can view the list of areas for which we need volunteers and fill out and submit your application to be at the kennel. There is a brief orientation required that walkers need to go through. You must be at least 18 Years of age and commit to at least 2-3 hours per week. We will have a tour of the kennel and train you on how to get dogs safely in and out of the kennel. We can t wait to hear from you!!! Holiday Photos Sunday December 2 10:00am 3:00pm Purr Photography is taking photos for the holiday. Bring the whole family including your pets of course. Select photos will be edited, ed to you within 2 weeks and you can print and share freely. All proceeds benefit AHF. Petsmart 162 S Gary Avenue, Bloomingdale 2019 Calendar RESCUED ANGELS What a great gift for the holiday! Enjoy reading all twelve biographies written by each pet parent. Cost $20 To purchase go to: click on read more on the scrolling banner at the top. All proceeds benefit AHF.

3 Almost Home Foundation PAW PRINTS Page 3 Homer and Hope: What are some safety tips during the holiday season? It's the holiday season: time for trimming trees, decking halls, renewing friendships, and protecting our animal companions because holiday safety is essential for a happy New Year. Approaching the issues of guests, family trips, and the dangerous ingestion of food and objects will make the difference between a relaxed or a stressful experience. Oh, Christmas tree. What a joy to see but how careful you must be. Securely anchor your tree so it doesn t fall. Kitties love sparkly tinsel as it seems to be a lightcatching toy that is fun to bat around and carry in their mouths. But beware that if ingested it can lead to an obstructed digestive tract which might lead to surgery. Cats may knock glass ornaments off of trees, which could cause cuts on paw pads. Sharp ornament hooks can also become imbedded in your pet's mouth or esophagus. Place ornaments that are shiny, could be swallowed or broken high up on your tree. Larger, less intriguing ornaments can go near the bottom. We know that our pets love to taste everything and when they are thirsty they might even sample the stagnant tree water. Because tree preservatives are often sugarbased, the water in the tree stand often harbors potentially harmful bacteria. Fertilizers, insecticides, or flame retardants that were used on the tree may also get into the water. Cover the stand with a tree skirt or use other means to prevent access to the water. Love those beautiful holiday plants and flickering candles? Beware of holly, mistletoe, poinsettia, amaryllis and actually the tree itself. The oils produced by fir trees can be irritating to a pet's mouth and stomach, causing excessive vomiting or drooling. The tree needles may cause gastrointestinal irritation, obstruction, and puncture. Don't leave lighted candles unattended. Pets may burn themselves or cause a fire if they knock candles over. Use appropriate candle holders placed on a stable surface. And if you leave the room, put the candle out! Curious characters those dogs and cats and how alluring is the smell of that tasty appetizer you just set out on the coffee table. During the holidays, pets may be exposed to various foods that are dangerous if ingested. So, avoid table scraps such as gravy, meat Ask Homer and Hope fats, onions, garlic, chives, raisins, yeast dough, grapes, chocolates, and avoid goodies with Xylitol. Even edible tree decorations such as popcorn or cranberry garland create the temptation to jump upon and eat. Even a well-trained dog will become confused by unfamiliar guests and large gatherings. One can reduce barking, jumping, and begging by reviewing good manners ahead of time and reinforcing them in small gatherings. If this is not enough, a dog deserves a safe place to be alone with food, water, toys, bed, and a "do not disturb" sign. To avoid a lost dog after running out the door during guest arrivals be sure that identification tags are up-to-date and try to keep to a regular playtime and walking routine so the dog does not feel left out. Cats are highly sensitive to noise. Many are shy or nervous around strangers. The general chaos of the holiday season can really stress out your cat. Make sure you provide a safe, comfortable place for your cat to hide. If you close your cat in a room, provide him with soft bed, food, water and a litter box. Make sure guests know the room is off-limits. Some trips are inevitable, so a decision to travel with your pets or to board them will also affect the holiday. In the car, a dog should be crated or secured in a seat with a belt or harness and a cat should be crated. This will help to avoid nuisance behavior, injury in case of an accident, or escape during stops. Bring water stored in plastic jugs. If you are traveling a long distance, you can purchase disposable litter boxes and place these on the floor of the car for your cat to use. Try to stop every two hours for your dog to exercise and take a bathroom break. If taking the pet is not feasible, boarding or a pet sitter are other alternatives. A boarding facility should be checked out for cleanliness in the sleeping and exercise areas as well as for individual attention and playtime. A pet sitter should be introduced to the pet ahead of time so that they both feel comfortable with each other. When all is said and done, holiday safety for pets is just an extension of a concerned owner's daily routine. However, reviewing the basics might mean the difference between a "silent night" or a sleepless one.

4 Almost Home Foundation PAW PRINTS Page 4 Clicker training for your dog The term "clicker" comes from a small metal cricket noisemaker that the trainer uses to precisely mark a desired behavior. When training a new behavior, the clicker helps the animal to quickly identify the precise behavior that results in a treat. So the dog tries to produce a behavior that will result in the trainer sounding the click knowing that it will be followed by a reward. Using a clicker, or marker, training, you can communicate to your dog exactly what you want him to do. But is clicker training the best method? Clicker training began to grow in popularity following the publication of Karen Pryor's book "Don't Shoot the Dog" in Her workshops and videotapes emphasized the use of the clicker and after a while many dog trainers began to believe that the only form of effective marker training is when a click is used as a signal. On the other hand, a number of other dog trainers continue to side with psychologists who say that there is nothing special about the clicking sound. Any kind of signal that can be delivered when the dog produces the wanted behavior will work as well as a training aid. Recently a team of researchers at the University of Trieste decided to see if clicker training was the most effective way to teach dogs. A group of 17 dogs were trained using a clicker and 17 were trained using a verbal reward marker and 17 were trained using a visual signal. What these researchers found was that there were absolutely no significant differences between the group that was trained using the clicker compared to the group who was trained using a word as a marker or using a visual signal. The data from this study suggest that when you are training dogs you can go with your own personal preference and use a clicker or your voice and still expect the same degree of learning. But if you prefer the clicker, here are just a few tips. DOG CLICKER TRAINING TIPS Click during the desired behavior, not Give after it s the completed. treat after the click, not during, not be Give the treat after the click, not during, not before. Fix bad behavior by clicking good behavior. Click when your dog does something you like. Click only once (in-out). Don't wait for the "whole picture" or the perfect behavior. Click and treat for small movements in the right direction. Practice in short sessions: dogs get tired and bored faster than humans. Always end a session with a positive note: right after a good response from your pooch. Fade the clicker away: eventually you can replace the click for a sound like Good dog.

5 Almost Home Foundation PAW PRINTS Page 5 Almost Home Foundation Little Paws, Big Hearts Gala 2018 Our biggest event of the year! Hundreds of big hearts attended to support Almost Home s little paws. Table for 10 Itasca Country Club Help a Pet, Get a Present Even some of our rescues attended! Room filled with silent auction items