Noelle Rantakari

HAPPY HUMAN, HAPPY DOG  GOOD DOGS AT HOME Many well-meaning people have behavior concerns with their dogs. Others wonder if they foster or adopt a new dog, if it will "get along" with their dogs they already have, both not realizing that behaviors will rehabilitate and new dogs WILL get along IF the people provide the proper leadership. Often, people lead with pity or "love", again not realizing that dogs need exercise & discipline FIRST to feel secure & to see that the human is the pack leader, not just a dog "lover". To truly love them is to provide what the dogs NEED. Simply by learning & implementing proper handling techniques, not only would shelters get more accurate evaluations, but also people would properly meet & introduce new dogs, & establish harmony in their packs at home, all of which helps save more lives! With the crisis facing the shelter system nowadays, with far too many people irresponsibly breeding & abandoning dogs, thus every 8 seconds a dog is killed, & only 1 in 10 born get a forever home, it is of utmost importance to be responsible pack leaders & KEEP our dogs for life, to provide what they need to live happy, healthy & balanced! Here are many general (& easy, yet very effective) tips for other routines to maintain consistency & calm balance in all things - on walks, at home, etc: To provide stable energy, so they know their place in the pack, & dont try...

The term "Indian giver", considered offensive to Native Americans, is derived from their early system of bartering. North Americans may have misunderstood items of aid as gifts, yet the Natives intended them for trade, and thus wanted them back if no item of equal value was reciprocated. People have passed onto generations how the act of taking something back shows lack of good character, teaching their children not to behave in this manner, depsite their misinterpretation of the historical context and thus, inaccurate reproach, placed on the original act itself, yet meanwhile, ironically using a derogatory misnomer to teach their children about integrity. If they are so quick to uphold this value of good character, in spite of its derivative flaws, that giving and taking back is reprehensible, then why are they equally as quick to teach their children that taking something but giving it back is acceptable? In the case of a stolen item, an item taken in anger, an act done or word said in revenge, we can all agree giving or "taking it back" is a proper course of action. But what about a puppy?    Often, families adopt a dog, but then return it years later when it is old, or has misbehaved, or sometimes just weeks later because it did not "warm up" to them fast enough. Do we not find this far more reprehensible than any of the above scenarios? What if adoptive parents did this with children?  This child has too much baggage, needs...

  A big day has arrived to change the tide in rescue work, shelter reforms, and a step for animal rights overall. Those who realize the importance of Saturday, May 12, 2012 are emailing, posting on Facebook and Craigslist (http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/pet/3010165162.html) because it is vital for there to be a large turn out, for the sake of these animals who count on us to bark loudly for their sake... their lives depend on it quite literally.  Based out of NY, a national protest will take place to bring awareness & call for much needed improvements to the system that kills millions of shelter animals every year. Two shelters, Carson & high kill Devore, were chosen as California's shelter locations. Devore has been under investigation by ABC and exposed on Warren Eckstein's Pet Radio show for refusing Operation Blankets of Love’s donations of hundreds of care items for the dogs, that have been documented as dying from cold and illness. (http://pictures.sprintpcs.com/share.do?invite=3EU45d21757C07m8akBU&shareName=MMS) Devore continues to resist improvements, and scoffed that only 8 people turned out to protest last year. They are counting on a similarly meager crowd this year, but those in the trenches of rescue work, who have seen the thousands upon thousands labeled "rescue only" from inaccurate evaluations, and then paying for it with their lives, want to show those who resist making valuable reforms for the dogs whose lives hang in the balance, that there is a formidable group of people standing between the deadly needle and these defenseless animals.   Official...

Man's Best Friend is in urgent danger. Man is not his best friend in return!4-5 million animals are killed in U.S. shelters each year. While there is growing awareness of backyard breeders, puppy mills, and the thousands surrendered daily at shelters, it is a far cry from much needed reforms for those whose lives depend on it NOW. California is just one example that illustrates the vast & urgent needs. The NKLA (No Kill Los Angeles) movement has garnered celebrity support to make L.A. a no kill city. However, state and city government officials are working against reaching such a potential milestone that would greatly propel reforms such as enforcing unlicensed breeding laws and mandating spay & neuter. California Governor Jerry Brown, ironically, a dog owner himself, is calling for the repeal of the Hayden Law, which has implemented much needed protections for shelter animals, such as longer holding times for strays and vet care for the ill or injured. It has been so effective, it has served as a model for other states. Yet it has been suspended (claiming due to budget crisis) since 2009, & thus, 250,000 more dogs have been killed due to lack of funding. It is not a financial crisis; such budget-based arguments are misguided at best. It is a mindset problem: a mere percentage of bureaucratic fluff salaries, mismanaged or corrupted budget funds, and taxpayers' dollars used to euthanize thousands daily could be better utilized to implement task forces to enforce existing unlicensed breeding laws...

Meeting dogs at Shelters & Bringing them Home Successfully During the many phases in saving a dog's life, simple handling techniques can literally mean the difference between life & death. In the shelter:
Too often, staff, volunteers, and potential adopters pass a dog in a kennel and talk to him. The dog may bark, lunge, cower, ignore, avoid, or otherwise appear unsocial. Insecure dogs may want attention, but be misunderstood as outgoing & friendly, when actually they need calm leadership to rehabilitate any co-dependent insecurities, which can later lead to more dangerous behaviors, such as separation anxiety, stressful fixations, or even fear biting. Any spectrum of behaviors exhibited in a shelter can be remedied, but it is often not mitigated by considering that the dog may have recently lived on the streets, been injured, abused, mishandled, surrendered by a trusted owner, and feel scared, confused, in pain or discomfort, and stressed. *** A better way to gain a more accurate evaluation of how a dog feels, and to gain their trust, is: 1.     avoid making eye contact, talking to them, nor trying to pet them. 2.    Squat down to avoid appearing as if you are looming over them in a challenging or threatening position. Turn sideways, as facing forward toward them is a dominant and challenging position. 3.    Sitting sideways & simply waiting w/ calm, confident energy, & without talking to them nor looking at their eyes, shows them you respect their space, are not threatening them, & allows them to gain...