Life on the Leash

A few of  my clients have raved about the Furminator, but since Sumner is a short hair guy, I never really gave it much thought. Grooming? How about a bath followed by a 5-second brushing?

But then I’d check out my vacuum canister and wonder where all of this came from:

Last week, a surprise package showed up in my mail box … my very own Furminator!

(I didn’t even know what a “Furminator” looked like prior to opening the package … I pictured a giant contraption with hoses and cutters. The reality was pretty low-tech, but not nearly as intimidating as I’d imagined.)

I was eager to see what all the fuss was about, and Sumner, ever the willing test subject, was happy to play along.

Now, I should preface this by saying that Sumner really enjoys getting brushed, so there was no need for a “let’s-get-him-acclimated-to-this-thing” step. I just let him have a sniff and then jumped right in.

Each time I stopped to check if he was truly enjoying it or just tolerating it, he’d place his paw on my hand as if to say, “Please continue.”

After about 2 minutes I took a look at the brush:

Zowie – it’s workin’!

I brushed for 10 minutes and came up with this:

Now, that might not be as dramatic an accumulation of fur as the dogs in their ads, but we’re talking about a boxer, not a Golden. That’s a respectable amount of fur that won’t end up on my floors (and sweaters, and coats …)

The Furminator folks say that it can reduce shedding by 90%. Impressive!

That said, I know nothing about grooming, so I wanted to get an expert’s opinion about the tool. Kathleen from the TV show “Groomer Has It” gave me her perspective:

“It is a great way to get people in the routine of putting aside the time for brushing their dog. They see an immediate result (lots of coat) and that seems to inspire them to set time aside for grooming. One must be careful not to take out too much coat by over brushing an area. It also cuts and breaks the coat. I suggest only using it for short periods of time to reduce the chance of over brushing. It is great to use on Terriers and breeds, such as spaniels, where you want a natural looking back or overall pattern. Again be careful not to over brush.”

Did I like the Furminator? Indeed I did, as did Sumner. I did a follow-up session with it a week later and got much less coat than the first time, which makes me think that the 90% reduction claim might be true …

How about you? Any Furminator fans out there?

Meet the new Dog of the Week, the beautiful, adorable, highly adoptable Annie from Pawfect Match Rescue in Holly Springs, NC:

Her stats:

- She’s a Black Lab/Pit Bull Terrier mix

- She’s gorgeous

- Three years old

- 55 pounds of lovin’

- Rescue ID: 089

Annie has been in foster care waiting for her forever home for two years … she’s so ready for you to find her. She’s fully potty trained, and a really loving girl. She needs to find a home where she’ll be the only dog. (No cats, please!)

The sad fact is, black dogs up for adoption are often overlooked. As another Annie would say, it’s a hard knock life for black dogs.

Maybe, tomorrow, some lucky person (you?) will be able to say “We got Annie“!

Click here to check out the adoption details.

We went to the Global Pet Expo in Orlando last week and for some reason it was like a reunion for the cast of the TV show “Greatest American Dog.” Within 2 minutes of walking in I spotted one of the judges, Wendy Diamond, checking her messages and looking tired. (I don’t blame her – the convention floor was gigantic.)

A few minutes later I saw this cutie playing an intense game of tug with his person:

… and realized that it was none other than Tillman as I walked away.

Later that day I saw a woman walking her dog in the restaurant district (though there is no restaurant “district” in Orlando – it’s all restaurants!), thought the pair looked familiar and checked for the telltale life size tattoo on the ankle. Yup, it was Beth Joy and Bella Starlet.

Back at the show I saw a big crowd gathered at a booth and had to check it out. Was it a dog doing tricks? A cat toy demo?

Or maybe a reptile show?

Uh, sort of:

I stood off to the side, hackles up and growling.

Dogs weren’t allowed in the convention center, but a few made it in:

How were the products, you ask? Uh-mazing. The stuff wasn’t as frou-frou as Pet Fashion Week, though. More staples-type products, like food. That said, I found some really cool items – my head (and bag) is bursting with ideas! There were two toys that I couldn’t stop thinking about, so I begged the reps to let me take them home to try them out.

I guess I was hungry when I picked my favorites:

Aren’t they adorable? Love them! And Sum does too:

He likes soft toys (because of those ouchie toofs and gums, I think) so he preferred the doughnut:

I need to test them out on a few more dogs, so if you’re a current client, expect to see the baked goodies in the near future!

… Happy (early) Valentines Day!

Give your furry sweetheart a big kiss!

My friend and fellow trainer Robin Bennett just got back from Wolf Park, a nonprofit education and research facility that studies, you guessed it, captive wolves. She took loads of gorgeous pictures, but I found this set to be the most compelling series:

Can you tell what’s happening? A dominant wolf is coming in to claim a carcass from a lower-ranking wolf, who willingly gives it up and then rolls on to his back in an act of submission. That happens all the time – no biggie, right? Indeed it does, and that simple exchange undermines conventional Alpha Roll theory. Certain trainers (you know who I’m talking about) suggest that rolling a misbehaving dog on to his back is a good way to discipline, because that’s the way the wolves do it in the wild.

Really?

Robin told me that she didn’t see one instance of a forced roll during the weekend – every single one of them was offered by the lower ranking wolf.

Makes sense, doesn’t it? That Alpha wolf would waste a whole lot of energy rolling everybody for infractions all day long.

Ask the wolves and they’ll tell you, “Alpha roll? That’s not how we roll.”

Welcome to a new feature here on LOTL … it’s the very first Dog of the Week!

Each week I’ll shine a spotlight on wonderful dogs available for adoption in shelters around the country. Today I’m pleased to introduce Buddy Jr. from the Humane Society of Washington County!

Isn’t he a charmer? I love the smile.

Here are his stats:

- Lab mix

- Male

- Approximately 5 years old

- Found as a stray

- 54 pounds of lovin’

Buddy Jr. is a genius who learns quickly … he already knows how to sit, down, roll over (which can be tough to teach!), shake and spin! He’s high energy and he loves to play, but he can get a little jumpy when he’s overexcited. (Which can be remedied with some basic training.) He was assessed for all homes with children 6 years of age and older.

There’s something in that face and waggy tail … it’s wagging so fast in the first photo that it’s a blur!

Want to get to know Buddy Jr. a little better? Get in touch with the the Humane Society of Washington County at 301-733-2060, ext. 207.

Are you affiliated with a shelter or rescue organization and want to have your dogs featured in upcoming Dog of the Week profiles? Get in touch and we’ll talk!