New Orleans Lab Rescue Finding permanent adoptive homes for homeless Labs www.nolalabrescue.org December 2017 Helping the New Dog Adjust Dogs like routine and the disruption of moving to a new home can be stressful for everyone involved. We put together some tips to help your furry and human family members adjust and have a smooth transition. Set up for success and dog proof the area where your new pet will spend the majority of his time. Keep in mind he may forget his previous housemanners and it could take a few days to learn what your expectations are. Training begins immediately so make sure you and other family members have decided on what commands to use so confusion does not occur. Make sure the family is onboard with everything. Feeding and walks should be at the same time every day. Having a set routine will help your dog adapt to his new environment and feel safe. Be consistent with your rules. If your dog is not allowed on the furniture then that means all the time not just when Grandma is visiting. Be kind, patient, and flexible. Your new dog has a mind of his own and often we do not know what has happened to them previously. He may have a fear of newspapers, hats, beards, etc. It will take time for your dog to acclimate. Make sure he has a safe place he can go to get away from stressful situations. If you are crate training, leave the door open so he can enter if he wants. Make sure children know how to approach the dog without overwhelming him. Constant attention can be too much. Let the doggie have a break. The first few days should be calm and quiet. Limit the social calendar, visits to the dog park and outside guests until a routine is established. This will allow you to spend time with your new dog and get to know his likes and dislikes. Set aside some time daily for one on one training and quiet together time. Showing your dog he is safe and loved will start the relationship on a positive note and build a strong, lasting bond. Current Events December has been a busy month for the rescue. Honey and Daisy left Louisiana on a transport to Canada. The transport was done in several legs and a couple of overnight stays. We are grateful to those who volunteered their time, vehicles, gas, and homes to get these girls to their forever families. We pulled sweet Lance from a shelter and discovered he is in congestive heart failure due to severe heartworms. He is a very young dog and we are trying our best to save him. He is currently undergoing medical treatment to stabilize his condition. Next steps for treatment will be determined after we see how he responds to medication. Our most recent challenge is due to a breeder who decided to reduce stock. Sixteen dogs were dumped at a south Louisiana shelter. NOLA pulled several of these dogs and they are placed in loving foster homes. The dogs, ranging in age from young adult to senior, are adapting to the home/family environment after being raised in outdoor kennels without much human interaction. Our fosters are working with them on basic things like going up and down stairs, playing with toys, enjoying TV, and of course potty training. Many thanks go to these fosters for stepping up on short notice, opening their homes, and showing these dogs that family life can be great. This is what rescue is all about. Please contact us (NolaLabRescue@gmail.com) if you would like to help. We always need fosters, transporters, and volunteers to help with administrative/data entry tasks. Monetary donations can be sent thru PayPal to NolaLabRescue@gmail.com We thank you for your support.
Ask the Vet CANINE CRATE TRAINING 101: Choosing a crate and its location Crate training new puppies, and even older dogs, is an excellent way to avoid behavioral problems such as house soiling, chewing, barking, and digging. When done correctly, most dogs will soon come to feel safe and secure when crated. The crate becomes their safe den, and should never be used for punishment. When choosing the crate, wire is best for a number of reasons. Not only does it last a long time, but it also allows your pet a full view of its surroundings. Wire cages are easy to clean and offer the added benefit of good ventilation. The size of the crate is also important. To save money, choose one that is big enough to hold your pet at full-grown size. However, always choose a crate that includes a separate, adjustable wall. This will allow you to make the crate smaller when the puppy is small. There should be just enough room for the pet to turn around and lay down comfortably, with no extra space. Most dogs will try not to soil their sleeping area, so keeping the crated area small will help with housetraining. If any extra space is given in the crate, the pet will see it as an inviting place to eliminate. Proper placement of the crate in your home is also important. It should be near or in the area where the family spends most of the time. Some pet owners elect to place the crate in their bedroom, especially at night so that they can hear the puppy cry when it needs to be taken out to eliminate. Most puppies can begin to control nighttime elimination as early as 3 months of age. Personally, I prefer to put the crate in a central area of the home that is still close to a door, which helps in getting the puppy out quickly to eliminate when released from the crate. December 2017 As a general rule of thumb, the number of hours a puppy can stay in the crate is equal to his age in months plus one for the first year of life. For example, a 4 month old puppy can be crated for a maximum of five hours. Dogs of any age should never be crated for longer than 6-8 hours. To avoid accidental injury or strangulation, never crate your pet with a collar on. Techniques Always begin crate training when you are able to be home with your puppy. Introduce the crate slowly leave the door open and put a favorite toy or a few pieces of puppy food in the crate. Don t force them into the crate, and always praise them when they enter. Use the command kennel (or another simple word of your choice) each time you put your puppy inside the crate. When your pet enters willingly, you can progress to closing the door for a minute or so. When he calms, praise him and let him out. It is normal for the puppy to bark or cry while crated, so reassure him but wait for him to settle down before allowing him out of the crate. Otherwise, the puppy will begin to associate negative behavior (crying and barking) with being released from the crate. Also, never make a big production when the puppy is entering or exiting the crate this only reinforces their anxiety. LOW KEY is best! Repeat this process for longer and longer periods of time. Your first attempts should be 30 minutes or less. Crate the puppy for a few minutes when you are home, so that crating
Crate Training 101 continued December 2017 doesn t always mean that you are leaving your pet. Within a few days, most puppies will enter the crate and settle down for a nap. A toy can be placed in the crate with the pet, as long as you choose one that can t be splintered, swallowed, or torn apart. Mealtime is a happy time for dogs, so feeding in the crate can help them get used to it more quickly. Never leave food or water bowls in the crate after mealtime, however. The last meal of the day should be fed at least 2 hours before bedtime. Puppies will need to eliminate immediately after a meal, and adult dogs within 30 minutes or so. One reminder worth repeating: crates are very convenient, but dogs need exercise and socialization with their humans, so they should never be overused or used for punishment ( time out ). As previously stated, the number of hours a puppy can stay in the crate is equal to his age in months plus one for the first year of life. Also, remember never to crate with a collar on to avoid strangulation. With a little patience, your puppy will be crate trained, avoiding common canine problems such as digging, chewing, and separation anxiety. A crate trained dog will also feel more secure if and when they are caged at the groomer or veterinarian. Crate training is well worth the initial investment of time and effort! The Toy Review Submitted by Lisa Riggins The Tester: Princess Buttercup The Toy: Chuck-it Erratic Ball and Spicy Dog fleece tug rope. Hi! It s Princess Buttercup! Thank you for choosing me as your December Toy Tester. I got a ChuckIt Erratic Ball and a braided tug rope in the mail and it was like Christmas! I love new stuff, especially when my sisters and brother have to watch me play with it from another room.
December 2017 Toy Review continued The ball is my favorite because I m a retriever. I m really good at fetch but this ball made it more difficult, which was a fun challenge. I am a senior pup, so we had to be careful to play with it on a grippy surface like carpet or grass. My younger siblings like it on any surface. The tug toy is also a lot of fun. I m really strong so tug is a good game to play with my dad. My beagle sister stole this one from me pretty quickly. We played tug together for a little while and Cooking For Your Furry Friend Snicker Poodle Cookies 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1/2 cup shortening 1 cup honey then she went to try to tear it apart. She still hasn t destroyed it so when she s in her crate, I can still play with it. We give these toys good ratings because they ve lasted more than a day and we still like playing with them! Would you like your furry companion to be the toy tester in our next newsletter? Send us an email at NolaLabRescue@gmail.com put Toy Tester in the subject. We will do a random drawing on January 31st and send a new toy to the winner. All the human has to do is write the review in time for the March newsletter 2 eggs 3 3/4 cups white flour 2 teaspoons cream of tartar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 cup cornmeal 2 teaspoons cinnamon Mix vegetable oil and shortening, honey and eggs. Beat well. Add flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Knead dough until mixed well. Shape dough by rounded teaspoons into balls. Might the cornmeal and cinnamon together in a bowl and roll balls in mixture. Place 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheet. Press the balls with a fork. Bake 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees. Cool on rack. Store in airtight container.
December 2017 Shout Out to our Sponsors Bryan Automotive Williams Co. Porter Group New Orleans Softball Assoc. Ryan s Paint and Body Dog ID Collar Why Join NOLA? Our mission is to provide: Permanent adoptive homes for unwanted, abandoned or abused labs. Medical care and foster homes for rescued dogs. Education to pet owners regarding spaying/ neutering and responsible pet ownership. Public information about irresponsible breeding practices and animal abuse in an effort to end both. Your Membership Supports: Vaccination, sterilization, heartworm prevention, and veterinary services for all dogs. Heartworm treatment. Rescue of canine seniors with high expenses. Orthopedic surgery for rescued dogs in need. Transportation of HW neg., fully vetted dogs from the overpopulated South to pre-approved foster and forever homes.
December 2017 You can make a difference! Contact us at : nolalabrescue@gmail.com Donations are accepted through PayPal at: nolalabrescue@gmail.com We are always looking for fosters to join the team.