How to be the Best Pet Parent Ever!

Margot Ahlquist has some great tips about being the best Pet Parent ever!

1)      Before you adopt or rescue a dog, know what you are getting into.  Research the breed, ensure that the breed’s qualities and needs are a great fit for your family. Ask questions about the dog’s history, medical issues or needs, behaviour and temperament.

2)      Ensure your family is prepared to make a commitment to your new pet.  This commitment is about making your home the pet’s forever home.

3)      Your dog might undergo some anxiety related to the move, transition and adjusting to his or her new home.  If the dog had toy or blanket at the shelter and they allow you to bring home with you, this can help provide a sense of security and stability for the dog.  Sort of like a child with his or her favorite blankey.

This is one of our Toby's favorite toys, the Kong is his other favorite toy.

4)      Begin to create a routine immediately, for example, meal time, play regime, walk time, training time.  The more routine you provide, the more comfort you provide to your dog, and this translates to stability.

5)      When you have to go to work, create a routine around leaving that is not dramatic.  You can leave something with your scent (e.g. a t-shirt) with your dog, some pet parents have a saying they use like “guard the house, I’ll be back soon.” Other pet parents leave a toy such as a Kong filled with kibble. You may find leaving a radio on for background noise can help reduce anxiety when you are not home.

6)      Socialization is very important for your new dog. You can find dog walking and pet groups on Meetup.com, through your local animal organizations, and your vet may have some great suggestions to.  You can also research doggie daycares, dog play groups and the off leash parks in your area.  

 

Toby and his friend at K-9 Awareness Centre

7)      View your dog as a member of your family…. His/her forever home.

You can listen to more of Margot’s tips on PAWsitive Radio here:  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/teamtoby/2013/07/17/paws-to-talk-with-margot-ahlquist and on

http://dogworksradio.com/2013/07/31/1821/

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CritterKin- helping kids learn the joys of petcare

Our guests on PAWsitive Radio- all things pets was    CritterKin

And what a PAWSOME conversation it was!


Jena Ball, the writer and illustrator and Creative Director with Startled Cat and CritterKin talked about the inspiration for CritterKin, which actually dates back to when she was a young child.  Jena grew up passionate about wanting to prevent animals from being returned to shelters, and to teaching the importance of choosing the best pet for your family, and making certain families have the education, tools and resources to have their pets be FOREVER (or shall I say.... FURever) pets.  They are part of our family.

Jena Ball

The CritterKin Mission is "help children (and through them their families) learn the invaluable life lessons that pets can teach. These include respect for all life, an understanding of and appreciation for difference and diversity, empathy, responsibility, and anawareness of our role as the species that has the greatest impact on the planet." (Source: CritterKin).  CritterKin is closely tied to and very supportive of animal shelters, and the important work they do!

Marty Keltz talked about the importance of stories, and that stories connect people. An Emmy Award-winning producer he was the co-founder and president of Scholastic Productions, Inc. (1978-1995) and a Senior Vice-President in charge of New Media at Scholastic Inc., the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books. He led the teams that created The Magic School Bus on PBS.

Martin Keltz

CritterKin Moments are beautiful stories, photographs and music about the lessons we learn from animals, and the many beautiful ways in which they make the world a better place. I was thrilled, and honored to learn CritterKin featured our dog Toby in one of their CritterKin Moments ( http://critterkin.com/moments.html)./   Scroll down and you will see PAWS with Purpose and a wonderful photo of Toby surrounded by children. What a legacy our pets leave. 

All the CritterKin dogs have their own personality, and their own story to share. One our interview Jena shared a few with the listeners.

The next phase of the CritterKin project is their Kickstarter launch in late April. This is a fundraising campaign to hire the animators, designers, engineers, and programmers needed to transform the humane education plan and Jena’s illustrations and stories into a mobile application. 





And there is one more member of the pack....
A veteran brand strategist, Thompson brings more than 20 years of experience in market research, brand positioning, advertising, design and digital media to Startled Cat. In 1998, he formed Remedy Communications, Inc., a full service agency with clients that included Fortune500 companies like Johnson & Johnson (Tylenol), AstraZeneca, and the U.S. Dept. of Defense. Thompson is both a co-founder of Startled Cat and the founder of the Academy of Bright Ideas (AOBI) Ltd.

Doug Thompson

So how can you help? What can you do?  First, listen to the radio show to hear Jena and Marty talk about CritterKin and the many ways in which the project will help create forever homes for animals. And, make sure you visit their website www.critterkin.com and their facebook and Twitter pages to help share their message.

You can listen to the show here:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/chammond/2013/04/10/guests-jena-ball-and-marty-keltz-from-critterkin


Read a great article in the Examiner about CritterKin:

Barking Orders

Ryan Cooper is the co-founder of Barking Orders  – a free online resource dedicated to helping reduce the number of abandoned pets on the streets and in shelters because their owners were unprepared or unable to care for them. Through education Barking Orders (The Canine School for Humans) hopes to build awareness in dog owners in a fun and informative way. The services and information they offer will help many families who adopt pets.  

Our Toby was a rescue dog, who we adopted when he was five years of age. Learning more about his breed, Chesapeake Bay retriever, helped us help Toby.

Toby with his favorite toy....The KONG

Barking Orders was inspired by Jake the dog, and Ryan’s desire to help dogs thrive in their family situations. A recent guest on my PAWsitive Radio show, Ryan shared some great tips for pet families.

 Barking Order tips for pet families are:

1.  Ensure your pet gets enough exercise, and the right type of exercise 
2.  Do your research before adopting, know the breed and choose the breed that is the best fit for your family and lifestyle 
3.   Invest in a seat belt for your pet. Having a seat belt saved Jake’s life. 
4.   Choose a good quality leash, and safe toys, and 
5.  Ensure your dog has a healthy diet and good quality food.

To learn more about Toby’s story, or his books On Toby’sTerms, or Toby The Pet Therapy Dog & His Hospital Friends, visit http://www.ontobysterms.com

 To listen to Ryan share more information about Barking Orders, and to hear his tips for helping dogs thrive in their family, listen to:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/chammond/2013/02/20/guest-ryan-cooper

You can follow Toby on Twitter at:  https://twitter.com/Ontobysterms