Pet Perfection Blog

Sycamore Dog Park & Updates

Pet Perfection — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:25:00 GMT

On June 23rd the Sycamore Park District Board had their monthly meeting. During the public concern time Colleen Edwards brought up the need for a dog park and the idea was received enthusiastically by the board. We were told that it was already on the agenda for the Citizen's Advisory Committee and Colleen was asked to sit on the committee to share her excitement regarding this topic. We are all very excited and Collen has plans for a fund raiser to aid in the cost of the Dog Park. Keep an eye on this blog and our website for further information.

The new building is still a slow go as I do believe the heavy equipment was just a tease. I will keep you all posted and we are still hoping for an opening date of September or October. Classes are going along well, but on nights like last night we sure are wanting a nice cool building to do our exercises in! Many more classes will be added once we are in the building and I personally can not wait.

I would like to get some feed back from my visitors regarding a topic on Bully Breeds. If you were to had the opportunity to listen to an expert speak about Bully Breeds what would you most be interested in? Is the general misconception and discrimination foremost in your heart or is it the Breed Specific Legislation that really gets your blood pumping? Would you like to learn about the origins of Bully Breeds and how we got to a case like Michael Vic and the most recent one in Michigan or is the horrific pit fighting and why, what you would like to learn? There is also the aspect of Bullies in shelters and animal control agencies, there are still organizations in this country that will not take Bully Breeds as they have special needs when confined and over stimulated. A topic could be Bullies in shelters, before - during - and after, with follow ups on successful adoptions. You can post comments directly on this blog or you can email me privately at christyb@petperfection-behavior.com Your feed back on this is greatly appreciated.

Dog Park In Sycamore

Pet Perfection — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:09:00 GMT

There has long been a need for a dog park in the DeKalb area. That need is now being addressed thanks to a citizen who brought it to the attention of the Sycamore Park District. She and others have been working diligently to prepare for the long awaited Park Board meeting where the issue of a need for a dog park will be added to the agenda this coming Tuesday night, June 23rd at 7:00 pm. If this is something that is important to you I am asking all parties to show their presence at this Board Meeting.

Where: 940 E. State Street in Sycamore ~ next to the Recreation Area

When: Tuesday June 23rd, 2009 at 7:00 pm

Falcons release Michael Vic

Pet Perfection — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:49:00 GMT

On June 12, 2009 the Falcons officially announced they will be releasing Michael Vic. I personally hope that his career is over. Some sports fans may believe that his conviction is excusable, but i do not. Read the full article here:

http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/falcons/stories/2009/06/12/falcons_release_vick.html

   This is Luna, a pit that just recently got adopted through TAILS Humane Society. I had the pleasure of meeting this lovely girl who truly is an ambassador of the breed. I watched as she carefully hugged a 5 year old child. Brought tears to my eyes. She then went into a foster home where she lived peacefully with another dog and a cat. Her new family loves her to pieces!

The weather here is finally summer feeling and training classes are going great. Enrollments are up and I just love to see those little puppies learning with their new owners. I am just beside myself with excitement as I see flags and some heavy equipment on the TAILS campus in preparation for the new building. This is going to open up so many possibilities for Pet Perfection and pet lovers in the area.

Check out the new section on our front page of the website. Whats "News" with pets! It will be updated weekly with different news items pertaining to all pets. If you have a suggestion, send it to me    christyb@petperfection-behavior.com    I have also updated the Bully page with some new photos. Keep the photos coming along with stories, I will post them. You can find us on Face Book at
The DeKalb Area is in need of a dog park. Currently there is not anyplace for owners to take there dogs to run and get exercise. Being an obedience instructor I can't express enough how important this is. Some dogs really thrive on the social interaction while others would benefit from the socializing. Please join!   apps.facebook.com/causes/293256/47136758?m=5ec6990d

Peaceful Demonstration in Highland Park, IL

Pet Perfection — Fri, 15 May 2009 14:58:00 GMT

I would like to take the liberty of inviting you to a cause that may be close to your heart. Mayor Michael Belsky of Highland Park is proposing a breed ban of Pit Bulls after a 14 year old girl was bitten. Legislation states that Illinois is one of 11 states with a law that prohibits any regulation or ordinance that is specific to breed. Yet state Rep. Karen May (D-Highland Park) said she believes home-rule communities such as Highland Park can legally ban a breed of dog, based on an informal opinion in a letter from the office of Illinois Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan. The letter, addressed to the general counsel for the Department of Agriculture and dated March 16, 2007, states that under appropriate circumstances, "a home-rule unit is not prohibited ... from regulating or banning the keeping of specific breeds of animals."

This type of legislation is prejudice and devastating to families who have Pit Bulls as a part of their family. I fear it will start precedence in Illinois that I have personally experienced watching tearful owners being relocated because of the economy, relinquishing their beloved Pit Bulls due to BSL in other parts of the country. These Pits typically turn out to be terrific pets and were obviously cared for from the relinquishing family. According to the study Which dogs bite? A case-control study of risk factors, Gershman, Sacks & Wright 1997 the predominant breeds that bite are: Chow chows, German Shepherd Dogs, Labrador Retrievers and mixes of the these breeds. These types of racial profiling against Pit Bulls makes me wonder if a Labrador had been involved in this particular instance, would a BSL against Labrador Retrievers be proposed.

On June 22^nd at 7:00 pm during the town’s counsel meeting when the BSL will be proposed there will be a rally out side of city hall, 1707 St. Johns Avenue. Highland Park, Illinois 60035. I am asking Pit Bull owners to attend this rally to show this breed our support. This will be a peaceful demonstration to simply show Mayor Belsky the number of people opposed to BSL. I would also like to see a presence of Pit Bulls that are Ambassadors of the breed at this rally.

I will be attending representing my animal behavior consulting business, Pet Perfection. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at christyb@petperfection-behavior.com

Highland Park Pit Bull Ban ~ Update

Pet Perfection — Tue, 12 May 2009 15:25:00 GMT

Terrific news! I now have an "inside" connection to the Highland Park Breed Ban issue.

'Here is an email directed to Lair Scott, who has spearheaded all efforts to prevent a ban from happening in Highland Park, Illinois.

"The staff has not been directed to place a Pit Bull (or any breed-specific ban) on Monday’s agenda, or any agenda in the future." Patrick Brennan, Deputy City Manager of Highland Park states and adds that, "I made the offer to contact you if any future action took place so you did not think that there was a conspiracy to place the matter on the agenda a few months later when the issue may have dropped off your radar." More news on this issue will be released on Monday, May 11, 2009.'

"I'm waiting for Tribune reporter, Lisa Black, to interview the mayor again and see if he'll retract his statement that the Pitbull is "lethal", but an official email was sent to me that they will NOT be placing any sort of ban on city council tables." This also from Lair Scott - Oak Park, IL

Group/Cause on Face Book

Pet Perfection — Sat, 09 May 2009 20:24:00 GMT

Please check out my Group/Cause on Face Book, "Pit Bulls ~ The Other Good Dog". If you are on Face Book please join. A topic that is very close to my heart. Being in the Animal Sheltering world I am privileged with seeing many Pits/Bullies, some good, some great and some not so.

It is not the breed or the owner's training or lack there of. It is merely what the breed was intended to do and the ability of the owner to manage that. Petey from The Little Rascals (I know, I am dating myself there) was a Pit Bull. This is the general temperament of the Pit ~ very social with people, what Petey portrayed. It is just a matter of if they are dog tolerant or not. Join my group and start a discussion, post photos or pose a question!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/group.php?gid=59684217460&ref=nf

You can also find us on MySpace, check it out. http://www.myspace.com/petperfection_behavior

Classes & Pit Bull Breed Ban

Pet Perfection — Wed, 06 May 2009 12:59:00 GMT

Spring is here! And with that comes new puppies & kitties and Obedience classes outside. While we are waiting for our building to even break ground, it is nice to finally have classes outside and have a bit more room ~ and more distractions for the pups. Distraction training is really the best way to get good, reliable results, it is pretty frustrating for the owners though. Getting the owners to be more exciting than the "butterfly" is always a challenge. But, I never back down from a challenge!

TAILS Humane Society just had a big adoption event this past weekend, so we are anticipating an increase in enrollments in the coming weeks. Puppies got adopted and thankfully a handful of adult dogs too. Kittens are coming so there were a few adult cat adoptions that happened.

A troublesome event happened over the weekend also. A young girl got bitten in the face and arm by a alleged Pit Bull. The mayor of Highland Park is now contemplating a Pit Bull Breed Ban for that city. This is a very sad situation. According to the study Which Dogs Bite? A case-control study of risk factors (Gershman, Sacks & Wright 1997) .The predominant breeds that bite are: Chow chows, German Shepherd Dogs, Labrador Retrievers and mixes of the these breeds. It makes me wonder if it had been a Lab Mix, would the mayor still be ready to take such drastic action?

Enjoy the photos and give me your thoughts and comments on the situation in Highland Park.

Our Instructors for Dog Classes

Pet Perfection — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:11:00 GMT

Meet our Instructors! Amanda, Adrienne and Nancy have all been with us since the beginning when we started dog obedience classes at TAILS back in 2004. It has been a great ride and it is about to get better! TAILS will be expanding soon and we will have our own dedicated space for classes. We are all very excited about this collaborative effort. Keep an eye on our website for up coming information!

Amanda, Senior Instructor Adrienne, Instructor Nancy, Assistant Instructor

More Obedience Classes Available

Pet Perfection — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 15:46:00 GMT

We have now added additional Levels 1 & 2. You can now attend these two levels on Thursday evenings! Level 1 is at 7:00 pm and Level 2 is at 8:pm. So options are opening up. You can enroll on-line directly from our website. Once enrolled you have the option of coming to Monday nights or Thursday nights for Levels 1 & 2.

Coming May 16th on Saturday mornings will be Levels 3 & 4 added. AKC Canine Good Citizen and Drop-In Rally O will be available soon. Keep an eye on the website for more information.

Diamond & Shannan Shadow & Dave Joey & Nancy

Obedience Classes 3/2/09

Pet Perfection — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:22:00 GMT

Classes went well last week. A few new pups attended and started to learn with their human counter parts. Fun was had for all as we taught "Attention", "Sit" and "Down". Level 1 is always a good time as there is the newbies in class and it is great to see the puppies start to understand the communication expected of them. Yesterday was a very large class 3/9/09, and it is always great to see so many new faces eager to learn. It will be lots of fun watching them all move up through the Levels and finally graduating in 8 to 12 weeks.

Available for Adoption at TAILS

Pet Perfection — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:04:00 GMT

Budda Emi Chip Sandy

Check out TAILS Humane Society's web page for more information. Wonderful dogs that are Bully Breeds available for adoption now.

www.tailshumanesociety.org

Obedience Classes expanded

Pet Perfection — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 01:24:00 GMT

Pet Perfection will be adding an additional set of Levels for the Fun-damentals class. Starting in the middle of March Level 1 and 2 will be offered on Thursday nights. Levels 3 & 4 will be offered on Saturday mornings in April. Please contact us if you would like more information on this. Coming also is Canine Good Citizen and Drop-in Rally O.

I would like to talk about Bully breeds. I am fostering a Pit Bull right now and it reminds me that these guys really do have a bad reputation. Being very loyal and sweet breeds it must be kept in mind that they are bred to fight, but not all pit bulls want to fight. Not for the faint of heart or new dog owners, an experienced dog owner can most certainly keep a bully breed busy and happy. Understanding their natural tendencies is crucial in having a happy bully breed. Please check out our website for the new bully breed page. Post here so I can hear your stories about your bully breeds and why you love them.

Coming Soon

Pet Perfection — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 18:38:00 GMT

Looking for something fun to do with your pet? Coming soon to Pet Pet Perfection: Canine Good Citizen, Adventures with TAILS, Rally O Level 1 & 2, Tricks with Clicks, Fun with Little Critters, Kitty Kindergarten and more. Check back for start dates and times.

My House Guests

Pet Perfection — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 11:53:00 GMT

Here are my house guests. It has been fun having them here and it gives me the opportunity to have the comfort of my couch while watching dog interactions. I find their language fascinating. I am thinking about training the little border collie mix to be my next demo-dog. Having lost my golden what seems like eons ago now, I am ready for a replacement. It should be fun teaching her, the energy and excitement at the thought of working herding breeds show is very appealing to me right now. And by the way, that is the look on the lab mix's face almost all the time ~ what a dear!

Teaching

Pet Perfection — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 11:34:00 GMT

Making the time to teach classes again has been a soul searching experience for me. I am truly enjoying it and now I am really looking forward to Spring. With warmer weather comes eager students and excited dogs. New pets are added to the family and the need for training is encouraged. Having been out of the loop, so to speak, for so long made me put my passions on the back burner. I am thrilled at this adventure in front of me and hope to see many new faces, human & canine alike, in the coming months.

February 9

Pet Perfection — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 13:48:00 GMT

We have had a warm spell here, which affords the dogs to play outside more. Gives me cabin fever watching them run and play outside. I stood in my snow filled yard wishing there was something for me to do to spend more time outside. Bear, the lab mix house guest, grabbed the soccer ball in his mouth and engaged in a game of keep-away. He was so very proud of himself as I reached for him each time he whizzed past, a look of glee in his eyes. Magic was feeling the need to keep everybody rounded up and barked her pretty little head off while she nipped at ankles. I enjoy having these two additional dogs here, it makes the pack a bit larger and more interesting. Is it Spring yet?

February 1, 2009

Pet Perfection — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 14:38:00 GMT

I have had a terrific week. Being able to teach obedience class being one of the best days. It is just like riding a bike and it had been a long time since I had stood in front of those eager faces to help new owners build the bond between human and their new four-legged friend. Seeing the communication increase and witnessing when both human and dog get it - is most certainly uplifting. I drove home wondering why it had been so long and promised myself that I would make the time to teach more during these coming months. Sometimes you move too fast and you push aside the little things that bring true joy.

One of my current clients is an 8 year old miniature poodle. She is just as sweet as can been, obviously frightened of her new, dark surroundings. Becoming completely blind in the past year due to medical reasons, she is truly loved by her owner who wears a mask of deep concern every time I am with them. My last session with them was critical in the future of the happiness of this little dog, there was a huge break though and this was another time during my week I was reminded why I love doing what I do. We were teaching her a new "path", a simple one, from the couch to the front door. This path caused her much confusion, a path she had taken many times before. As I watched her dedicated human companion start to teach her to trust and take these few steps, I saw her body change, and his. Suddenly I saw a smile, and muscles relax, I witnessed the doubt and concern lift and I saw a new bond forming between these two creature that had been with each other for eight years. The tiny poodle began to trust and her concerned companion began to believe. By the end of the session, faces were smiling and tails were wagging. I do believe if I still had a tail mine would have been wagging the hardest!

Obedience Classes

Pet Perfection — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 12:54:00 GMT

On Tuesday January 27th I was able to fill in for my Senior Instructor at Obedience Class. I must admit I was a bit nervous as I had not taught class in a very long time. When I arrived my excitement grew as I saw the anticipation on the faces of the students and the eager looks on the puppies and dogs. It turns out it is just like riding a bike, as I started to teach the first cue it all came back to me and I found myself caught up in the moment and enjoyed it thoroughly! My enthusiasm was contagious and I saw faces light up and puppies start to smile as their owners began to have fun. As my schedule lightens up at work I will have more time to teach classes again and I am thrilled at this opportunity. It reminded me why I am doing all of this.

January 24, 2009

Pet Perfection — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 17:05:00 GMT

Another cold weekend is upon us in the Midwest. The temperatures topped out at 30 degrees earlier this week and the dogs thoroughly enjoyed it. I can watch dogs play for hours, practicing their predatory behaviors on each other. Right now I have four dogs in the house, 2 being mine and 2 being a friends. Very different breeds with very different play styles - getting along none the less. One is a Dane and the other is a lab mix and both have similar play styles, with the "boxing" motion of their front feet. The other two are an English Bulldog and a Border Collie mix. It is wonderful to watch the BC herding the bulldog and the bulldog "pouncing" at her back. As I watch them play I can see the natural instincts that they were bred for and the jobs they desire to do. Back in the house, all napping peacefully they morph back into my beloved pets curled at my feet. The wondrous dog!