Raw Nerve

As the President of GWP Rescue, Inc, and the one that holds the Animal Care Facility licenses in three states, I find myself needing to vent here a bit.

As there have been so many blogs on the involvement of large private charities in illegal raids, confiscations of animals from hoarding situations, only to send them to high kill shelters, or shelters where many of them die from disease at the hands of such "rescuers", I find myself outraged!

A raw nerve if you will when it comes to those making profit off their pull and dump on small organizations/over crowded rural shelters whilst they make money off of the situation by taking a lot of photos and asking for money on their huge professional websites. When in truth they pocket funds and little if any of the money pocketed by these large organizations actually goes to help the animals in need.

Those of us in rescue have seen it many times. It being a LARGE organization, coming in to save the day on their white horse...and basically giving a ride to the animals to be shuffled off to over crowded high kill facilities or dumped on small rescue organizations. it is time to stop believing those TV commercials folks...take a look at www.Guidestar.com at any organization you wish to support...take a look at their books which are public record.

I invite you to view the following blogs:
KC Dog Blog
YesBiscuit!

Maybe it is because I have a vested interest in one of those raids, months of rehab work on GWP's that thankfully ended up in the hands of GWP Rescue. Maybe it is because of the input I am getting from those that were actually there witnessing the animals being kept in small cages and never getting human contact....maybe it is because of the psychologically damaged dogs I have spent the last 6 months working with. What really caused all of this damage, what really made them so afraid. Guess we will never know will we? What made them so hand shy they hit the floor when you toss a ball?

It's time to wake up people!
There are rules and regulations to follow. There are ways to educate and reform situations. There is a way and as a society we must insist on those in law enforcement to enforce the current laws, and for those in states where laws do not exist to lobby for a change.

There...I feel better. But that doesn't help those poor animals that have no voice, and depend on us to provide "better" living conditions, a chance...not throw them to the wolves so those doing the throwing can rake in more of our hard earned dollars by deceiving the public.

I am sick to death of the abuse, neglect, irresponsibility of owners and now RESCUERS that are equally irresponsible. You have probably guessed it, the LARGE organization I am speaking of is the HSUS, and those that bring in dogs from horrible situations enabling such organizations. Rescuers that fly by the seat of their pants, and then beg constantly for money. Yes, we all need money at times, but regulate the numbers please....and you-John Q. Public..get your dogs spayed and neutered OK?

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Happy-New-Year-from-GWP-Rescue--Inc.html?soid=1102527936961&aid=1uw-UiFWTO8

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Happy-New-Year-from-GWP-Rescue--Inc.html?soid=1102527936961&aid=1uw-UiFWTO8

GERMAN WIREHAIRED POINTERS RESCUE FEEDS HALO, RECEIVES DONATION (4)

GERMAN WIREHAIRED POINTERS RESCUE FEEDS HALO, RECEIVES DONATION (4)

the Importance of Fostering-A Dog like Meg

I recently got an email with photos from one of our adopters on one of our more difficult cases...her name was Meg. I decided to get out her file and go over her notes, on just how bad she was in the beginning. Not bad I should say, but what a challenge she was, and how I fumbled through different ways of handling her to counter these challenges.

The first weeks entries were eye opening. I had forgotten all of Meg's quirks, and my own dismay over her personality. She was a huge girl, around 28" at the shoulders. She had obviously been a kennel dog all her life with little socialization with humans or other dogs.

Meg was dumped into a shelter with what we believe to have been her breeding partner. When another rescue contacted us, it was decided they would take the male and I would take the female. We enlisted help from those wonderful transport people, mostly former adopters of ours to help bring her from the Texas panhandle to Oklahoma City where my son and I would meet them from Kansas City.

When we picked up Meg, she was incredibly thin....shaking, and belly crawling. Rescuers were shocked as we were. Considering she had some huge ticks on her, my first thought was tick borne disease. When we got her to our vet here that was ruled out. It was the extreme lack of socialization and realization she was just a breeder...a money maker. Meg had never had any affection, and we learned early on that a nod when she did something good was enough. When I started to work with Meg, it was a day by day slow progression. I really had to work hard on my frustration level, breathe, meditate...seriously before working with her.

I was so wrong when I thought she was "dumb as rocks"...as later when I observed her opening crate door latches with ease. I thought, "okay girl, if my eyes did not deceive me which I KNOW they didn't, you are capable of so much more than I am getting from you." What could I do to reach this dog that when even patted would maul you with unwanted attention, or ambush me from behind while I sat on my computer wrapping her legs around my neck and licking my head? Oh that used to frustrate me, now it is quite funny to think of it.

I see from the progression of my notes, the big changes came two months into her stay with us. As we are somewhat lucky, being our breed is not overly common we have the capability of taking in a few at a time and doing actual rehab. We are not about numbers, but about working with our dogs to provide our adopters with a pet with some manners, and no surprises. My big requirement is a loose leash walk, some idea of recall, sit and wait.

I have a special son, actually three special sons...but one that does good work with the dogs. He has grown up observing rescue dogs, he reads them, handles them well and the dogs respect him. He was the one person Meg did not pull any punches with. He was much larger than her, and one of our first orders of business was to master the walk with Meg. I will never forget when we "saddled" up the dogs for their pack walk I of course, being the experienced handler wanted Meg. That lasted about one block, when I told Matt..."Hey, you're going to have to trade me the three pups for this one!" Meg was bucking like a horse, and I could feel my back and shoulders taking hits already.

What happened next was nothing short of a miracle. Matt made her go into a sit,(one command I was able to teach her), leaned over her and spoke to her. He pulled the leash short, and Meg was no longer bucking. She fell into a heel, and walked beside him or slightly behind. He said he had laid out the rules, pulled up his energy from the gut and Meg had understood. Meg soon realized the leash was good, sitting calmly was required for the leash to be attached, and waiting at the door required. I remember as time went on how I used to take her alone in the evening, and how wonderful it was to be one with the dog....a team, and the joy of realizing this girl was going to progress into a lovely adoptable pet! Matt was featured in Cesar Millan's Newsletter with Meg last March, as special kids seem to have an intuitive communication with the dogs.


Meg started then to mingle with our other dogs, and she did very well. She started Daycare in the country two times a week, mostly hunting breeds and geared towards their needs. She was changing, before my eyes. We labeled her the Queen Diva Bigness, as she conveyed the Diva attitude in her body language, almost as though she thought she was royalty.



We came to adore Meg as she was with us six months, and so ingrained into our day to day lives. A dog that required so much had not disappointed us, a young man with little confidence other than his handling skills with the rescue dogs felt proud of his hand in making her what she was now. She was finally ready to move into a home.
And that home did come. Meg went to live with the most special couple, one that marveled at her leash skills, obedience, and manners.

As we stay in touch with our adopters and love to hear updates and receive photos, one such email this week announcing Meg had a new sister from Lab rescue prompted this post. As this most unlikely pair sit for a treat, and are the couch Divas together, can we celebrate the rescue, rehab, re-home and rejoice of these tremendous animals. As they teach us so much, and allow us to never give up....to keep trying.






Below We have a photo of our new Queen Diva Bigness....her name is Emma, and the saga continues!
"Oh Matt???"

Not all Rescues are Created Equal nor Shelters

This blog post is dedicated to the companion animals that have no voice, they are at our mercy when it comes to rescue from high kill shelters.....

So what IMO defines a "rescue"

A rescue to me means abiding by the rules. Rescues need to heed state licenses and requirements, no group is above the law. Even if they have the word "National" "United States" or "Humane Society" in their name...ask for them to provide their credentials...licenses, 501c3, are their fosters inspected? Are they inspected by their state inspectors annually? How do they actually help the animals?

A rescue must have the funds in hand to provide medical care before committing to an animal/animals.

A rescue should be able to provide the very best in care, not allow the dog to languish in an outdoor kennel for months on end....especially when relinquished by a family that has had the poor dog indoors their entire lives on a big puffy dog bed.

A rescue must be willing to provide services that will benefit the animal and make them more adoptable, spay/neuter, medical tests, microchipping, leash training, crate training, obedience work. The rescue must do their very best to provide a healthy pet to their adopters, and disclose any potential problems with solutions and volunteer intervention if needed if a problem does arise.

A rescue must think with their head, and not their heart....as this is difficult at times, many times I have seen the "road to hell was paved with good intentions."

A rescue must not work within a panic mode, but a logic mode.

A rescue MUST always be responsible for their dogs/cats, taking them back into rescue when an unforeseen event may happen in the adopter's life. Stay in touch with their adopters, check up on the dog/cat, and always save a foster space for any event when a dog/cat must come back into rescue.


What I have seen going into 16 years of companion animal rescue, is that the problems are this:

Shelters not willing to work with licensed 501c3 rescues, people calling themselves a rescue with no credentials, zealots as I call them...not in a bad way, but filling up in boxes with "This Baby dies at 1:pm today" "SAVE this Furbaby!!!!" "OH GOD...I am begging!!!" Don't they realize these posts will be deleted by seasoned rescuers?

I also love it when a dog of our breed is cross posted bcc'd to multiple rescues, especially those of us that do not talk to each other...or it has been blind copied, thus leading to duplicated efforts.

Which leads me to Facebook....

I have seen some incredible legitimate rescues work together to move animals, egos left aside, providing adequate care, training, dog parks with photos...socializing animals at events, and volunteerism that is to behold.

There have been some incredible people working behind the scenes, coordinating medical care with no other intention but to provide the animal a chance to be adopted if a surgery is needed for example....or coordinate a transport to another legitimate rescue (with licenses and 501c3).

There have been many, many good saves and dogs put into good homes.

Then there are the ones that I question....those that do not ask questions of the organization willing to help. Do they have proper licenses to work within those states? How will the dog/cat be housed and cared for? What is their protocol, are they a no kill rescue? Or do they only give the animal minimal medical care, and if the animal proves to need more, euthanize. Just because they have the word "National" in their name, does not mean they work within the laws of such states...nor does it mean they will provide an indoor home to teach the dog (using dog here) house training, crate training, manners so they may go into an adopters home. Do the dogs receive basic obedience or any type of training? What are their credentials? Are they legitimate with the IRS to run a business?

Why am I so adamant on working within the laws, rules and regs? Because there are those of us licensing yearly in states we do business, we keep accurate records as the state agencies coming in for yearly inspections want to see them, because we do it right, and if it means we cannot save them all due to space then this is what happens. We do what we can, but we will do it right. We work hard to provide complete medical care, working within the law, work only with legitimate 501c3 organizations with a good standing within the rescue community. Ask for references, do home visits, vet references and do background checks on adopters. Carry liability insurance we pay for dearly each year to protect ourselves and the public. Do not adopt out animals we feel are not completely ready or rehabilitated. List any and all incidents after rehabilitation and document in their files. Do what is best for the dog, always.

When visiting a local Petsmart yesterday, I spoke to a group that was there doing an adoption event. They had a lovely 9 month old pup there that had been returned....why? Because the couple that had adopted her the week before were in their mid seventies, the energy level of the dog was not matched with the family, and because she had issues with food?
When I asked "what type of issues?" "Oh she is food aggressive....." "Nothing that cannot be worked on."
Now ask yourself, is a dog with food aggression with no rehab being adopted to a seventy year old couple fair?

Now there are many dogs in the shelters that have no issues at all...divorce, loss of job, and the list goes on...the owners cannot provide care...or in our case "the dog cannot hunt." I would say out of close to 300 dogs we have had within our system, we have had very few with issues that could post any threat to the general public. Within the right environment, food aggression can be rehabbed....by experienced handlers/trainers. But not in a shelter environment.

Shelters should be made accountable when a purebred dog comes within their system, to have lists of purebred rescues to come in to help...thus making room for another mixed breed dog. Not only is the dog placed properly, but with some rescues such as ours, not returned to the rescue as we have gone the distance to insure proper placement with experienced individuals.

I guess my beef with the entire situation is this:

While we all want to save a dog's life....sometimes being turned over to "some" rescue situations is worse than death. Asking questions, be responsible, do some investigation before throwing a dog to the wolves.

Off my soap box now....I hope this post will give some guidelines to those needing it.

New Books Worthy of our Hard Earned Dollars

Two Must have Books for those cold winter nights! Nothing is better than curling up with a good book. I wanted to share two books I would highly recommend!

The first Book is "Cesar's Rules" by Cesar Millan and Mellissa Jo Peltier.



The book encompasses some of my favorites, Cesar of course...Ian Dunbar, Martin Deeley, and Joel Silverman. Many other behaviorists and trainers also, but those above are most interesting to me as I am familiar with them. The similarities and differences are outlined in philosophy, but all have a common ground to help owners achieve balance along with engaging their dog in training that is critical for bonding and safety of the pet. I was very happy to have a book that those of us that are seasoned owners could sink our teeth into.

As Cesar points out, (paraphrasing) A well trained dog is not necessarily a well balanced dog. This book will show you how to achieve both, a well trained balanced dog. As I have read all of Cesar's books, I have two favorites and this is one of them.

In our licensed Shelter home, that takes on only a very few fosters at a time from neglect and mill situations, I have always worked towards balance. As I see this as the most important first step. As we get our dog's trust we can then move on to the training aspect. I loved trying some of the games outlined by Ian Dunbar to engage our balanced fosters, and have always enjoyed Martin Deeley's insight and perspective on training techniques. I loved Joel Silverman's input and knowledge that he has so graciously shared. Joel by the way has a new book coming out soon that I am indeed very excited about. "Take 2-Training Solutions for Rescued Dogs." ...looks to be a tremendous book so also on my list of must haves when it comes out!

As many of you know...."Baldwin", my mill puppy I adopted out of 28 puppies from a back yard breeder relinquish last year, has been raised Cesar's Way as I have understood the philosophy. In fact, all of the 18 puppies that came to live with us were raised with Leadership, as I had to become the Mother dog basically with the little ones 5-6 weeks old with no mother. Of course, I am so very proud of all of them, we lucked out on temperament and stability. Baldwin is so very balanced as he has an extremely good temperament, been raised going to events with Leadership, daycare with other well balanced dogs since he was 16 weeks old, and has been in agility since he was 6 months old. As I see him as the best dog I have ever had the pleasure of sharing my life with, I still want to increase that bond as we learn together. "Cesar's Rules" is just the book I have been longing for, and the introduction to other behaviorists/trainers allowed me to view their insights and knowledge. It is a "Must Have" book truly! With the Holidays coming up, I cannot think of a better gift!



The second book is "Oogy:The dog Only a Family could Love"

This incredible book details the courage and commitment of a one time bait dog, and a family willing to go the distance for a dog that had known no human kindness. Tears are shed through this book, but the lessons this wonderful dog has taught and then shared by his family brings home that no matter how terrible life can be, if we remain positive and hopeful we can survive it. Oogy's story has had a profound effect on me and as the author/owner Larry Levin says on Oogy's Facebook page,

"What we've learned is you can't avoid bad things happening, you can't let them define who you are. You have to wait and see what's going to come out at the other end."

You must get this book....You will LOVE Oogy.

Both books are bookstores now and online!

Veterinary Rescuer: Doggie DNA Testing of the Tests

Veterinary Rescuer: Doggie DNA Testing of the Tests

My Montage 9/24/10 at OneTrueMedia.com

A short video of the 18 GWP's that have been with us since Jan. 2010!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

My Montage 9/18/10 at OneTrueMedia.com

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Baldwin's Day at the Pet Ranch at OneTrueMedia.com

Adopt your new Best Friend!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Agility short

Rescue Baldwin GWP loves agility!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Morning Romp at OneTrueMedia.com

Updated Video of our SD Puppy Mill Mom's. They are starting to cut loose.

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Morning Romp at OneTrueMedia.com

New Movie of our Midwest Mill Girls! One month in our licensed Rehab home, and they are starting to blossom!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Baby Baldwin at the Pet Ranch at OneTrueMedia.com

Baby Baldwin at the Pet Ranch KC!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

German Wirehaired Pointer Rescue would like to Thank Freshpet for their donation to our rescue orgainzation! The food is the very best I have used in 20 years! Our dogs come into our homes emaciated, with heart worms, very neglected. They are hunting dogs, and come in from rural areas across the United States...

When we were asked if we would like to try the Freshpet, we were so incredibly surprised at the quality, and high nutritional content. And the dogs LOVE the bites, treats, here in our licensed Shelter home. Our dogs that are adopted locally go home with some FreshPet. Many of our adopters are using it now, and their new and current dogs simply love it.

Thanks to Freshpet...our Cowboy that came in from Tennessee at a dangerous 42 lbs now weighs 60. He looks incredible. He had hardly any hair on his face, ears, and tail. He was missing patches on his hind end.

This sweet boy owes his life to Freshpet! His hair is back, he is healthy and Happy! He is finally ready for his new home!

I suggest you try FreshPet too! I don't think you will ever try a fresh food as good. Your Dogs will thank you for it!

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

Well, it has been a repeat of last May with constant raining. Hard for the dogs that are used to a lot of outdoor activities! Made me peel back the layers of the old onion and really "think" about some indoor activities. Nobody minds a little soft rain, but the big boomers with lightning are just a little too dangerous!

What's on the menu....okay, when we can only go outside for a quick potty break, energy builds up with the young GWP's I have here....now with four under the age of two years...with two of the four just under a year, I have really had to pull out my old kong recipes and jazz it up a little.
You can google Kong Recipes and find many sites, I like this one

New Kong Recipes
or
Nutritional Kong Recipes
The mental stimulation of the kong after a game of hide the treat allows the dogs to relax and become a little more tolerant of the rainy day.


Indoor Games
One of the best indoor games I have found is Hide the Treat! I use little pieces of treats, and hide them throughout the house. I engage the nose and ask one of my furkids to "find". They catch on quickly, and have a really good time tracking the treats down.


Hide and Seek
Hide and seek requires the same idea> Hide and call your dog....see how quickly they can find you and praise them.

Train new Tricks
Pick a trick, any trick, get a bag of treats and start training your dog! Just five minutes at time, several times a day, are a fun easy way to get that doggy brain churning.

Indoor agility
We purchased a very inexpensive agility kit.
We move the furniture, set up the tunnel....get the treats and practice!

Treadmill Training
We rely heavily on the treadmill during the rainly times. Odie has mastered the treadmill off leash, and is quite funny to watch him running along, rolling off and once again jumping on. He loves it! We start slow...onleash with a stuffed kong they can lick as they focus more on the kong than the treadmill!


Team Recall
Get some treats your dog loves and at least one more person to play this game. Stand about 10-15 feet apart and take turns calling your dog to come. Reward him when he does. Gradually increase the distance between the people and work up to positioning the people in different rooms of your home.

Food Puzzle Toys
There are all sorts of food puzzle toys on the market in which you can stuff food treats. Your dog has to use his brains and sometimes his brawn to get the food out. Kong and Premier Pet Products make great food puzzle toys. The new Kong food dispenser can allow your dog to roll the kong and dispense the kibble.
There are several food puzzle toys on the market just now...
check out these puzzle toys from one of our Sponsors-SitStay.com

For added fun, try tying a food stuffed Kong in an old sock, or hiding the toy in a room so your dog can have the pleasure of hunting it down.

Well...the rain is setting in...time to batten down the hatches! Til the next time...have "fun" with your Dog!

Wirehair Empire Strikes Back!.mpg

Go to our Video Page at www.YouTube.com/Murr41 to see our Star Wars Wire Videos!

width="425" height="350"


These were just too funny not to share! Rescue Wirehairs staring Baldwin, Jester, Daisy, Sonny and Thorn make their acting debut in the remake of these classic films...enjoy!

Greater Kansas City Pet Expo

The Greater Kansas City Pet Expo is the largest venue of its kind in the country. It is GWP Rescue, Inc's largest event of the year. With some 200+ rescue/shelter organizations, KC Police dept canines and horses, Dock Dog's regional finals, flyball and agility....not to mention all of the vendors.

We had five wirehairs at our booth, and all were very well behaved met the crowd happily in spite of the high stress environment. What I was the most proud of was that all of the work, all of the time we have spent with the dogs especially Meg was so worth it. While other rescue dogs pulled ahead and drug their handlers, Meg loose leash walked beside or slightly behind me. Her trust was evident, and I was proud to show her that the outside world even in this type of venue was a challenge she could face. She embraced the crowd, was gentle with children, and took a lot of treats from them.

A little background on Meg. She was pulled from a shelter in Amarillo Texas with GSP Rescue Meg Villarreal, and when she came to GWP Rescue, Inc she was frightened, had no confidence, and had never seen a collar or leash. I had serious doubts if she would ever recover. Meg has more than recovered, and has become the poster GWP for rehabilitation. Her problems were not temperament, but lack of experience with the outside world. She attends Daycare, goes to events, is a neighborhood favorite. I am so very proud of her.

Using mainly the philosophy of Cesar Millan, leadership with rules, boundaries, and limitations, the dogs in our care respond. Meg and all of the wires want to be secure with routine, exercise, obedience and affection earned. Meg was so starved for attention, and lack of social skills would jump all over us when we praised her with even a pat on the head in the beginning. Being she is so large, this was definitely a problem. Learning that a simple nod and smile was all that was needed to convey approval was something Meg taught us.

Meg now understands what we want from her. She knows that jumping on someone while in their computer chair is an ambush from behind, and not okay. She seems to know that sitting for a treat is not a one time thing and the treats will keep coming when she is calm and obedient. She is now ready for her new home, and I am saddened to see my "Big Diva Girl" leave, but Meg has taught me so very much and I am grateful to have been her student.

Providing a Fulfilled Life for your Canine this Summer!

With the economy in such a mess, we all seem to be feeling the tightening of the purse straps. When before if your dogs needed about anything, they got it no questions asked.

Now it seems these days one must consider "if" it is really necessary. Before, if the rescue dogs need a new dog bed for their crate...no problem. Now I find myself skimming garage sales, going to Good Will or thrift stores looking for either these or padded blankets to fold. Do the dogs care? Absolutely not!

Seeking out a butcher with fresh meaty bones not only has saved me some cash for the rescue dogs.....but they enjoy them better than the bully sticks, teeth are cleaner, and they now all LOVE their crates.

So, one has to ask if the commercial products we so enjoy purchasing for our canine friends are really practical or even needed. Or is there a alternative that is even more natural, and less expensive?

I believe my need to provide quality in my own mind....clouded my creativity? As we improve our play yard here at our shelter home, providing a stimulating environment for the rescue dogs to interact while they wait for their forever homes....I have asked myself this many times.

As we put the dogs into more environments for socialization, events such as agility...dock diving....trips to the lake for training....doggie daycare, do I realize the environments are dependent on ones own creativity to enhance that environment.

Doing some research online and networking with others sharing ideas lately, do i realize the importance of networking for our canine friends.

Digging-
the turtle sandbox is usually always at a garage sale, usually with no lid...which is great! Or a kiddie pool filled with sand. Bury the toys under the sand and take the dogs out to the box. Encourage them to focus their excavating skills and perfect them in the designated area of the sandbox. Finding the toys under the same is very exciting for them and the focus is turned to finding the toy...not the digging.

Agility-
Our rescue dogs being a working breed love agility. For the shy dogs, it builds confidence...the praise they begin to crave, and as with any living being....we all want to succeed and please.
I ordered a very inexpensive set of equipment for my yard from DrsFosterandSmith.com
We had a gift certificate, and hey...why not> Agility set

However, pvc pipe with rebar put into the ground works well for weave poles. Jumps can be lawn chairs with a pvc pipe, tunnels can be found very inexpensive at the toddler dept online, or at thrift stores and garage sales. Nothing fancy...again, the dogs don't care...and it is more mentally stimulating. A variety of games are great for the dog.

Dock Diving-
We are relatively new to DD...we belong to MoKan Dock Dogs and have started our pup into the sport. This is a very inexpensive sport that is family oriented. Get together with friends and families for practice at our lake get us out into the fresh air, enjoying each others company....and watching the kids with their dogs, and the dogs with extreme talents is so much fun. Go to DockDogs.com to find a chapter near you.

Daily Walks/runs on leash-
Daily walks and runs on leash are the mainstay of our rescue rehabilitation. The backyard is just a large kennel with walls, so don't think this will suffice for most dogs. Most of our dogs come into rescue from either backyard hobby breeders that don't know when to quit until authorities tell them...or high kill shelters in rural areas. Most of these adults have never seen a collar or leash, so the challenge is to get it on them in the first place. We use a device called an Easy Walker harness.
"I've tried harnesses in the past, and they don't work", you say? Well...this is not a harness in the traditional sense. It is made by the company that represents the Gentle Leader. What I have found to be true with all of the tools in my training box, that this and the Ilusion Collar work very well. The Ilusion collar needs to be adjusted and my hint is to start the straps through the buckles before slipping it over the dogs head, then adjust. The Easy walker you do adjust, as it comes in a variety of sizes...but once it is adjusted, the dogs learn to put their feet in, and go.
The Easy walker has a clasp on the chest. So logically the dog really cannot get ahead of you.

The photo above is from one of my adopters Dr. Gaylene Geisler, DVM and her new puppy Kiera. The exercise ball sitting in the corner of the room is getting a workout from Kiera and the horses. Hey! Do I have one of those sitting around here? This looks like tremendous fun.

The whole idea of this post is to encourage us all to be creative with what we have in a tough economy. To know the dogs don't care...games are fun, it can be a noodle from the pool to create a jump between lawn chairs....hey! That is another idea.
So please share some of your ideas. This could be a subject so many owners and their special canine friends can benefit from!


As I put on my thinking hat for more ideas, I ask you to please comment and share your ideas. The networking and brainstorming for ideas outside to make your dog's day would be most welcome.

Mary Murray
Executive Director-GWP Rescue, Inc
GwpRescue.com
Edie and Baldwin with the Flirt pole