ARF!
Atlanta Recreation and Fun Club for Dogs, Inc.
ARF!Atlanta Recreation and Fun Club for Dogs, Inc. |
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The ARF! ReportNews Canines Can Use From Around the World and Around the Block |
Dog Thought Dead Springs to Life in Shelter Freezer Lodi, CA — When Earl Monroe opened the cooler at the pound’s dog morgue, he was surprised to see a dog looking up at him and wagging his tail. In his 29 years with the shelter, Monroe says he’s never seen anything like it. Prince, a poodle mix, had been hit by a car the day before and went into a coma. When his family was unable to wake him, they thought he was dead and brought him to the pound. The vet who treated Prince said he was in good shape for a dog that had been knocked unconscious by a car and then spent 18 hours in a freezer. His thick, matted coat provided insulation that helped the dog to survive, according to the vet. Prince was diagnosed with an ear infection and freezer burn and released to his family. Giant Greyhound Sign Falls on Workers at Track Miami Shores, FL — Some people are calling it the “Revenge of the Greyhounds.” During demolition of the second oldest Greyhound racing track in America, the famous greyhound sign collapsed and injured three workers. The demolition crew was cutting away I-beam supports in the grandstand when the sign unexpectedly plummeted to the ground. The Biscayne Kennel Club track was built in 1926. It was unable to compete with larger, modern race tracks and closed in 1995. The cause of the accident is still under investigation. You Light Up My Life Sadie, a 5-month-old German Shepherd mix in Kelso, Washington, set fire to the Matthew Gould household when she gnawed into a box of matches, igniting them. Dog Bites Man is Not News, Dog Shoots Man -- That’s News In Spencer, Indiana, a man was shot in the foot by his Akita, Boo Boo. The dog stepped on the trigger of a 20-gauge shotgun while it was on the floor of his master’s pick-up truck. Roc Alerts Family to House Fire New Burn, NC — When a bolt of lightning struck Roc’s house in the middle of the night and set off a fire in the attic, the Cheasapeake Bay Retriever/Rottweiler mix did something he was never trained to do — he rang the doorbell. The family did not know the house was on fire until they got up to answer the door. Divorced Dad Ordered to Pay $850 a Month "Petimony" According to the World Weekly News, a divorced Seattle man was ordered to pay $600 a month in child support and $850 a month to support the family dog. The divorce settlement ensures that the purebred Rottweiler King's Ransom will continue to live in luxurious surroundings. King has his own room with a large screen TV and music system to keep him from getting bored. Meanwhile, the couple's child Derek, must share a room with his mother. The judge's decision was based on the high cost of maintaining the show dog. King is fed steak twice a day and drinks only imported mineral water, while Derek eats TV dinners almost every night. When traveling to dog shows, King rides in a rented Mercedes and is lodged in luxury hotels. Ex-husband Henry Strimacht is philosophical about the unusual
settlement, saying "At least the dog will only live another ten years or so.
After that my money will go to help out my son."
Dog "Eliminates" Danger of Explosion A dog in the Czech republic saved human lives by peeing on and
extinguishing a plastic explosive bomb left in a shop doorway.
Despondent Dog Joins Master Three days after his 12-year-old master drowned, a dog in Nepal died by
jumping into the same pond and drowning.
Dogs Affected Outcome of Olympic Marathon At the 1904 St. Louis Olympic Games marathon, a Zulu tribesman called Lentauw, who had been appearing at a Boer War exhibition, was unable to finish the race after being chased off the course by dogs. |
 Channel Five Visits ARF! Agility Clinic |
Campus Live Includes ARF! In a News Segment About Things You Can Do With Your Dog
Dogs Jimi and Bernie were shown frolicking on the field, Oscar was seen exiting the pipe tunnel, and Sadie was shown jumping through the tire. Reporter Julie Cevene seemed to enjoy the day, and said that she'd like to return sometime with her dog, Barney. |
Homeward Bound, Too - Samson's Storyby Amy Matthews and Steve Elftmann |
ARF! Members Find a Home for Rescue Dog SamsonFirst there was Samson and Delilah. Then there was....well, Samson and Delilah. In the movie Homeward Bound II, a homeless adolescent Kuvasz named Delilah found love and a new home with the movie's canine star, Chance. In November 1996, Kuvasz Homefinders of the Southeast found a home for a young Kuvasz named Samson. Samson's owners had tried to get rid of him at age 5 months, then again at 10 months. He committed the crimes of being rambunctious, then of chewing the paint off the bumper of an expensive car when he was locked in the garage. We found him a good rescue home at that time, but the owners changed their minds and decided to hire a dog behaviorist to improve his behavior. Almost two years passed. The owners called again. They were ready to get rid of him, this time for real. Our rescue coordinators, Frank and Kathleen Menchero, went to collect Samson, some of his belongings, and a donation from the owner. Friends of ours had offered to provide a temporary foster home for Samson. Mike and Carol and their two Kuvasz (coincidentally, their dogs also had Biblical names) welcomed and cared for the temporary family member, while the rescue group looked into finding a permanent home for Samson. But Samson was in pain, so much pain that Mike and Carol took him in to their vet for an exam and x-rays. His hips were in bad shape, and would require about $2000 worth of surgery to correct. He'd been on steroids for skin problems. The questions arose: Can the group afford to pay for the surgery and treatment for chronic skin problems? Or alternatively, can the group expect to find a rescue home for a dog facing expensive treatment? The answer to both was no. The subject of euthanasia was discussed. The vet very kindly gave us significant discounts on the treatment for Samson. Mike and Carol paid the vet and the rescue group reimbursed them. During all this, the foster family had grown attached to Samson. But the expensive vet bills and the possibility of euthanasia threatened to break Mike and Carol's hearts, and they had already fostered the dog longer than they had committed to. So Samson came to our house to live while we discussed his future. Carol, in her grief, called the breeder and tried to get him to take his dog back or at least pay for his possible euthanasia, but he didn't respond. Samson adjusted to life in our home. We have a beagle/pug mix named Sam, which created some confusion, since our Sam would come running whenever I called for the rescue dog, Samson. Samson didn't fight with the other dogs, he walked nicely on a leash, and he kept the house clean. He found a favorite spot by the back door and occasionally barked warnings to the squirrels or cats or burglars who made sounds outside the door. He didn't eat much, but that's to be expected with a being who's a little depressed. I talked with the vet and found that there had been a misunderstanding about the seriousness of Samson's health problems. Samson's hips were indeed bad, but his pain was caused by a temporary injury that would heal in a few weeks, his dysplastic hips probably wouldn't be a problem until he was elderly and his skin problem didn't appear to be severe and might respond to a diet of natural foods. We placed an ad in the newspaper's "Adopt a Pet" section. Celeste, an officer of our rescue group, would accept all calls and screen for rescue homes. We settled in to await the rescue home that would love this little dog with the bad hips and the wall eye. The morning of the third day, Mike called--he and Carol had been lying awake at night, worrying about Samson's fate. They missed Samson so much, they decided they just had to have him back and adopt him as their own! I rounded up Samson's few belongings, had Samson say goodbye to the dogs he'd been living with, and off we went to his new home. As we pulled into their driveway, they greeted him with "Welcome home, Samson!" He remembered his Kuvasz friends from his previous stay there and they were all very happy to see each other. The three of them went off into the back yard, romping |
How to Photograph a Puppyfrom
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1. Remove film from box. 2. Remove film box from puppy's mouth and throw in garbage. 3. Remove puppy from garbage and clean coffee grounds from muzzle. 4. Choose a suitable background for photo, mount and pre-focus camera. 5. Find puppy and remove dirty sock from his mouth. 6. Place puppy in pre-focused spot and return to camera. 7. Replace puppy in pre-focused spot and return to camera. 8. Forget about pre-focused spot and crawl after puppy on knees, focusing with one hand and fending puppy off with other. 9. Get tissue. Clean noseprint from lens. 10. Remove tissue from puppy's mouth and discard. 11. Throw cat in basement and put peroxide on cut on puppy's nose. 12. Put ashtrays and magazines back on the endtables. 13. Try to get puppy to make that cute expression by squeaking favorite toy over your head. 14. Put peroxide on scratch on your face and retrieve camera from under sofa. 15. Stand up quickly, grab puppy by scruff of neck and shout, "NO! Outside!" 16. Ask spouse to clean up mess. 17. Put puppy in crate, pour a tall beer, bring the footrest up on the Lazy Boy and resolve to work on his sit-stay first thing tomorrow. |
New Board Elected at Annual Meeting |
 Minutes from the October 20th, 1996 Annual Meeting at Our Place or Yours Pet ServicesPaula Rauscher and Cynda Byers were elected to one-year terms as board members at ARF!'s annual meeting. Daniel Pyron (President), Ted Roessner (Vice President), Steve Elftmann (Treasurer), Candy Pyron (Secretary), and Juan Barrera (board member) were re-elected to serve in their current capacities for another year.
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Poor Puggy-wug
Oh, what is the matter with poor Puggy-wug? -- Winston Churchill |
Why Won't My Dog Come When Called? |
WHY WON'T MY DOG COME WHEN CALLED?by Landen Gailey, Our Place or Yours Pet Services
I lost my 14 year old dog to cancer recently, and plan to get a puppy soon. I loved my old
dog, but he would never come to me when I called if he was outside. How can I train my
new dog to come to me? The dog that does not come when called is perhaps the most frustrating, embarrassing, and potentially dangerous problem a dog owner can experience. Fido looks you squarely in the eye when you call, then wheels and canters jauntily off, leading you on a merry chase. What to do? Recall problems are better prevented than solved. Start conditioning your baby puppy to come as soon as possible. Begin with a game of chase. Call your puppy's name in a happy enthusiastic voice, then hurry away from her to encourage her to "chase" and follow you. Clap your hands, whistle, cluck, chirp, keep encouraging her. Forget that it may look silly--you have to make yourself the most interesting thing in your puppy's world. As you let her "catch" you, squat down and open your arms to welcome her. Touch her collar, then reward and praise her enthusiastically. Then, send her off to play again. Avoid the mistake of calling your pup to something that is not going to be fun, such as nail trimming, or when the romp in the park is over. Enlist the aid of a family member or friend to play "hide and seek" recall. Have your helper hold the puppy's collar as you run out of the room and disappear. As soon as you are out of sight call,"Molly, Come!" once. Your helper lets go of your puppy and she should dash to find out where you are. When she reaches you pet and play with her for a full minute. When your puppy is a little bigger, put her on a 6 foot leash and add a game of Fetch. Use a tennis ball or stick and toss it gently just beyond your pup's nose. Encourage her using a phrase like "Get it!", and when she picks it up immediately give the recall command in an excited pleasant voice. "Molly, Come!" Run backwards away from her, verbally encouraging her to follow you until she brings the object to you. The leash is to keep her from straying away and to prevent her from deciding at the last minute that she doesn't want to surrender her prize. It should not be used to drag the pup toward you! Lavish praise and the chance to chase the ball again will reward her for coming to you. Best of all you are associating something she enjoys with the act of running towards you. Correcting runaway habits in older dogs can be a more complicated endeavor. A foundation of training must be laid before the problem can be solved. The dog must accept the owner's leadership. Enrolling in a dog training class which uses motivational positive incentive techniques is a good first step. The dog must respond to his name consistently and should be taught to pay attention to the owner. All training should be done on a leash or drag line for the control crucial to success. Testing your progress without a leash can easily undo weeks of work when the dog discovers that he can ignore your command. Augment your class training program with some of the "games" described above. With persistence, consistency, patience and praise you can succeed! |
Good Luck Training Your HumanCopyright ©1996
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Ask Blitz: Canine Behavior ExpertBlitz has been a recognized expert in canine behavior for over six years. Both parents
were also behavior experts and passed this love of canine behavior down to all their
children. This month's question is from a two year old male in California.
Dear Blitz, Often, when I meet a human, my owner gets upset about my attempts to sniff their groin area. How can you decide if you like someone without a proper sniff? It's not like I can run a credit check or get a police report. What should I do about this problem? Signed: Sniffing in San Diego. Dear Sniffing, Humans are obsessed with ridding themselves of identifying odors. They will scrub themselves and even take baths to remove any smells. Many dogs have observed that humans smell much more interesting when they haven't bathed recently. They will even apply an artificial smell from a bottle in an attempt to disguise themselves. For beings with such an inadequate sense of smell this is amusing. Your sniffing just reminds them that this disguise doesn't work. Humans live such a deprived existence. They cannot sense even the most obvious odors in their environment and try to mask the few things they can smell. As soon as a dog starts to smell like himself and not some perfumed poodle, it's bath time again! And then, the silly owner wonders why the dog rolls on the ground. We just want to smell like something natural! We haven't even touched on the reeking chemicals that they use on every surface and even the air. Many of these compounds cause the average dog to sneeze but do the humans care? Not a bit. Most humans can't even appreciate the finer aromas in life. I've never heard of a human enjoying a roll in a carcass. What's even more amusing is that when they hunt, they don't even mask their scent. Back to your original question. The only way to tell who is willing to be sniffed is to pay close attention to the clothing that the human in question is wearing. If the human is wearing slacks they are trying to keep you from sniffing. Conversely, if they arewearing a skirt they are inviting you to see who they really are. Good luck training your human. -- Blitz |
| The canine world came to Atlanta on June 23rd for the third annual ARF! Summer Games. Competitors came from all over the world - from Germany (German Shepherd Dogs), Hungary (Kuvaszok), England (English Shepherd), Scotland (Scottish Terriers), and America (All-americans) for the opportuntity to compete in a variety of athletic events. And when it was over there was no equivocating - these were the best ARF! Summer Games ever. To the organizers, spectators, volunteers, handlers, and competitors, the ARF! Summer Games Organizing Committee (ASGOC) says "Well done!" | Summer Games 1996 RevisitedThe Games began with the traditional torch run from the site of the first summer games in Conyers (a journey of 40 miles) to Mimosa Downs in Decatur, the site of the 1996 games. As the Summer Games fanfare blared on a cassette player, the crowd gave a tremendous cheer when the torchbearer, ARF! president Daniel Pyron, entered the stadium with the torch held high. Whizzy, the Summer Games mascot, was at his side. Daniel and Whizzy then climbed to the apex of the A-frame and proclaimed "Unleash the hounds and let the games begin!" The day's competitions then began. There were five events - the Earthdog Trials took place in the shaded area on the north end of the field, while competition in the Hot Dog Dash took place on the south end of the field. Some dogs participated in both events.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the field, the Hot Dog Dash was being held. In the Hot Dog Dash, two dogs race against each other to find, and eat, the hot dog at the finish line. The winning dog advanced to the next round. Two small black dogs advanced to the championship match-up. Jesse, a mixed breed, proved to be the best hot dog eater of the day, and Emma, the Scottie, finished second. Sierra, a GSD (pictured on this page) finished third. The agility competition was next. Eight dogs performed at a level to earn ARF! agility titles. Jimi earned the highest ARF! title, the EGAD. Tigger and Sassy earned beginning level titles (RAD), and Sierra, Tammy, Sunnee, Trinket, and Timmy earned TAD titles. The final activity of the day was the Canine Good Citizen Test, a test of a dog's manners, training, and demeanor. Under the watchful eye of evaluator Daniel Pyron, five dogs earned their CGC titles on this day - Bernie, Sunnee, Shelby, Shadow, and Jesse. The day ended with the much anticipated closing ceremonies. The plans called for Whizzy, the mascot of the Summer Games, to extinguish the torch. This turned out to be quite a letdown, though, since the owners of the torch had gone home and took their torch with them, so we just said good-bye to each other, locked the gate, and went home. |
| The ARF! Newsletter was honored to have an article from the fall 1995 ARF! Newsletter, "Rottweilers Enjoy a Day of Agility," translated into Russian and published in a recent issue of the Canine Post. |  |
Why Dogs Don't Use Computers |
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ARF! member and CCI (Canine Companions for Independence) puppy raiser Cathy Williams carries the Paralympic torch with her CCI puppy Tino. Cathy became involved with CCI after meeting other CCI puppy raisers at an ARF! agility class. |
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Where noted by copyright ©, articles in the ARF! Newsletter
Online appear with the express consent of the author, who holds
all copyrights. Any reproduction of this material, in whole or in
part, is prohibited without the express consent of the author.
ARF! is a non-profit club with an all volunteer staff. Send questions or comments to at ARFmail@juno.com If you live in the Atlanta area, you may request a complimentary copy of the printed version of the newsletter, which contains additional material and information about joining ARF! |
Julie Cevene of
WAGA-TV's Campus
Live visited the
intermediate agility clinic
on October 20th as part
of a report on things you
can do with your dog.
The program aired three
weeks later and the brief
segment did a good job of
conveying the spirit and
purpose of ARF!
The earthdog trials were popular with the
smaller dogs, who enthusiastically went through
the maze of tunnels, following the scent of the
caged quarry (Miss Mouse) at the end of the
tunnels. Miss Mouse was safely resting in her
cage and seemed indifferent to the event, quite
oblivious to the barking dogs that approached
her with intense enmity. Sam, a beagle-pug mix,
went so far as to clamp his teeth around a bar of
the cage and began dragging it off the field. All
participants received a certificate recognizing
their earthdog talent.