NEWS AND EVENTS
The Loyalty of Dogs

By Cesar Millan
Excited Dog Welcomes Owner
Home from Afghanistan

In the last couple of weeks, I’ve heard from a lot of people about a couple of the videos we’ve recently posted. One joyous one is of a dog greeting his owner after he’s returned from Afghanistan; the other is a heartbreaking one of a black Labrador guarding her dog companion’s body after it was struck by a car.

These are just a couple of examples of the incredible loyalty dogs have shown to their human and animal friends. Think of Hawkeye, the dog who lay down next to the casket of his Navy SEAL owner in grief. Or Hachiko, the Akita who greeted his owner at the train station every day when he returned home from work, and after the owner suddenly died, returned to the train station at the same time every day for nine years (There’s a beautiful movie called Hachi: A Dog’s Tale starring Richard Gere about this dog).
Stray Dog Stands By Struck Dog

Why are dogs so loyal? Some people would say it’s just because they depend on us for food and shelter, so they have to be nice to us. But when you see how dogs react when their humans and canine friends come back after they’ve been gone for a long time or when they don’t come back at all, you know it’s about more than food.

Dogs are pack animals. They want to belong to a pack, whether it’s made up of dogs or humans, or pretty much any animal. You can look at these Unlikely Animal Friends videos to see all the different kinds of friends that dogs will make. Dogs aren’t loners. When they lose a member of a pack, even temporarily, they feel that a part of them is missing.
Unlikely Animal Friends

Dogs are also naturally affectionate. Their instinct is to want to bond. Dogs that fight or attack have been conditioned by humans to be that way. Dogs want to love and be loved, which I think deep down is what all of us want. They want to be part of a pack, contribute to their pack, and protect their fellow pack members.

My dogs have been my most loyal friends and constant companions. I’ve always known that Daddy or Junior or one of my other pack members was always there for me. They didn’t care about whether I was famous; they just loved me for me. And I love them. If you saw my recent video against bullying, you heard me talk about my very humble beginnings. When I was a kid, I was poor, I didn’t have a lot of friends, but I could always count on my dogs. But can our dogs count on us?
Cesar’s It Gets Better Video

The friendship between man and dog has gone back thousands of years. Dogs didn’t become “man’s best friend” for no reason. They give us unconditional love every day. My question is, do we deserve it? I see too many stories of dogs being mistreated, dogs being made to fight, dogs being overbred for profit, dogs being killed because they don’t have homes.

Dogs have been loyal to us. It’s time we return the favor.

Stay calm and assertive,
Cesar

By Jon Bastian

Ask most people how to determine a dog’s age in human years, and they’ll probably say, “Multiply by seven.” However, this method is inaccurate, and more so the older a dog gets. For a twelve year-old dog, the result could be off by over twenty years. Multiplying by seven only comes close while a dog is four and a half years old.

Dogs mature faster than humans, reaching the equivalent of twenty-one years in only two, but then aging slows to an average of four human years every year after. Dogs under thirty pounds live longest, often well into their teens; dogs over a hundred pounds have the shortest lifespans, being considered not just old but geriatric by six or seven.

So, next time someone asks you a dog’s age in human years, you’ll know how to give a more accurate answer. Subtract two from the age, multiply that by four and add twenty-one. After all, a forty-five year-old wouldn’t appreciate their spouse telling everyone that they’re fifty-six. You shouldn’t do the same to your eight year-old pooch.

FLEA AND TICK AWARENESS
How to Protect Your Dog Against Fleas and Ticks

As you and your family enjoy the early spring don’t forget to protect your dog against fleas and ticks.

We had the warmest winter on record in more than 10 years and the fourth warmest ever recorded in the continental United States1. While the mild temperatures and early spring weather has been great for getting outside with your pets, the early warm weather also means an earlier flea and tick season. Ticks survive the winter in microclimates, and after the thaw a feeding and breeding female tick can lay hundreds to thousands of eggs at one time2. Fleas can survive freezing temperatures on wild or feral animals, cocooned as immature pupae, or inside houses and buildings3. With temperatures in the 50s, 60’s, and even 70s an early spring for us also means an early season for these bloodsucking parasites.

Steps to Protect Dog from Fleas and Ticks

It’s practically impossible to keep fleas and ticks completely at bay. But there are some steps you can take to try and minimize the opportunities for contact with your pet.

How to Keep Fleas Out of Your House and Yard

Be aware that wildlife, including opossums, coyotes, raccoons, and skunks, and even untreated cats and dogs can deposit flea eggs into a yard. It may be possible to reduce flea infestations by limiting the access these animals have around the house and yard. Talk to your local nursery or garden professional. They may have some advice on what to plant or other strategies to discourage animal trespassers.

How to Keep Ticks Out of Your House and Yard

It can be helpful for pet owners to alter the landscape around their homes to make it unsuitable for ticks and their hosts. For example, keep the lawn mowed, remove leaf litter accumulations and prune shrubs and trees.1

Contact a professional pest specialist if you have any questions regarding environmental treatments for ticks.

Use a Flea and Tick Control Product

Despite our efforts to reduce the fleas and ticks in our yards, our pets may still be exposed to these parasites, so we need to take measures to help protect them as well. Treat all dogs and cats in the household with a flea and tick control product. One untreated dog can lead to a flea infestation in the household.

FRONTLINE® and CERTIFECT® brand products can help protect your dog from unexpected flea and tick sources by killing adult fleas, eggs and larvae, and all stages of ticks. FRONTLINE Plus not only stops existing flea infestations, but also prevents the establishment of new infestations.

Remember, consistency is key: even one missed dose of your monthly flea and tick control can set the stage for a flea infestation that takes months to resolve, or put your pet at greater risk of exposure to a tick borne disease. So be sure you are treating your pet now and continue monthly applications throughout the rest of the year.

1. State of the Climate Report: National Overview February 2012. National Climatic Data Center Web site. http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/. Accessed March 8, 2012.
2. Stafford K. Tick Management Handbook. New Haven, CT: the Connecticut Agriculture Experiment Station; 2007.
3. Rust M, Dryden M. The Biology, Ecology, and Management of the Cat Flea. Annu. Rev. Entomol. 1997; 42:451–73

® FRONTLINE and CERTIFECT are registered trademarks of Merial. ©2012 Merial Limited, Duluth, GA. All rights reserved.

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EXERCISE
Birthday Reflections about Walking my Dog Pack

By Cheri Lucas

Early this morning I received a phone call from my neighbor. “Happy birthday!” she said. “Are you going to take the day off from walking your pack since it’s your birthday?” Truth is, taking a day off from walking my pack never even occurred to me. Years ago, Cesar taught me that dogs don’t observe holidays. They are hard wired to walk every day. Dogs need to drain energy, exercise and migrate with a pack leader on a daily basis to stay balanced. They have no concept of your “day off,” the “holidays,” or birthdays.

Years ago when I first learned how important the pack walk was to my dogs, it was an obligation to me–something I did because it was a means to an end. If I wanted a balanced pack to help me rehabilitate troubled dogs, I needed to build a pack I could count on. I knew from Cesar that the only way to do this was by practicing the most ancient, natural ritual I could with my dogs: walk them in a pack. But over the years the walk has become so much more than that to me.

As important as it is to recognize the “animal” in our dogs, it’s essential to acknowledge that we are also part of the animal kingdom, and our needs are much the same. As animals, we thrive on routine and structure. Adhering to certain habits and rituals make us feel secure and grounded. I usually feel a little “off” if I’m traveling and can’t stick to my normal schedule of walking. I enjoy breaking a sweat, loosening up, leading my pack on our daily hike up and down the hills on my property. There is no conversation between us–we are just animals, migrating forward, covering ground, doing what has become the norm for us for more than a decade.

Walking with my pack keeps me connected to them and to nature. It helps keep my head clear, and combats stress. It’s the best way for my pack and me to stay fit and energized, and the best part is, it doesn’t cost a dime. So for both you and your dog’s sake, celebrate each opportunity you have to walk together. And always, be the pack leader!!

TRAINING
How to have a successful experience at the dog park

By Cheri Lucas

When you take your dog to a dog park or any other setting where there are other dogs, you have a responsibility to make sure he or she practices acceptable social behavior. Yet dog parks often become a venue for excited, dominant and even aggressive behavior.
Be the Pack Leader

The key to having a successful experience at the dog park is for your dog to see you as his pack leader. Asking your dog to behave properly in any setting is futile if you have no position of authority over him.
Rules, Boundaries and Limitations

Assuming you are practicing rules and boundaries with your dog on a regular basis, you may be ready to introduce him to the challenge of a dog park. Keep in mind that the dog park or any other play situation should be seen an as occasional treat for your dog, and should never be a substitute for his routine, structured walk.
Have your dog earn their treats

It’s natural for your dog to co-exist with other members of his own species. However, a dog park is nothing like a pack in the wild! A dog or wolf pack in their natural state is calm, orderly and balanced. To make your dog park experience more like that of a natural pack, ask your dog to earn everything he gets prior to leaving the house for the park. This will set the stage for good behavior as the activity continues.
Before the dog park, use calm energy and disciplne

Since your dog can pick up on subtle cues you’re giving him, as you’re getting ready to leave the house, he may begin to exhibit excited behavior. Ask your dog to sit, wait and proceed calmly through the front door to your car. Challenge your dog one more time by requesting he sit and wait for you to release him into the car.

If you’re driving to the park with someone else, ask him or her to correct your dog if he becomes overly excited again. When you arrive at the park, go through the “sit, wait, release” ritual with him again before allowing him to exit the car.
Try a brisk walk before entering the dog park

Rather than entering the park right away, take your dog for a brisk walk for 15 minutes, keeping him right by your side. Keep your demeanor calm, assertive and relaxed during this time.

When you arrive back at the entrance of the park, continue to enter the park with your dog on his leash. Continue your walk making sure not to allow tension on his leash. Once you are confident that your dog’s state of mind is calm and balanced, unsnap his leash and allow him to explore on his own.
Be aware of other dogs

Your personal challenge will be to remain relaxed yet vigilant. Remember that just because you may have perfect control of your own dog, others may not have control of theirs. As with children, playing can sometimes turn into fighting if intensity levels are not kept in check.

May your next experience at the dog park be relaxing, rewarding and balanced!

Tank

They told me the big black Lab’s name was Reggie, as I looked at him lying in his pen. The shelter was clean, no-kill, and the people really friendly. I’d only been in the area for six months, but everywhere I went in the small college town, people were welcoming and open. Everyone waves when you pass them on the street.

But something was still missing as I attempted to settle in to my new life here, and I thought a dog couldn’t hurt. Give me someone to talk to. And I had just seen Reggie’s advertisement on the local news. The shelter said they had received numerous calls right after, but they said the people who had come down to see him just didn’t look like “Lab people,” whatever that meant. They must’ve thought I did.

But at first, I thought the shelter had misjudged me in giving me Reggie and his things, which consisted of a dog pad, bag of toys almost all of which were brand new tennis balls, his dishes and a sealed letter from his previous owner.

See, Reggie and I didn’t really hit it off when we got home. We struggled for two weeks (which is how long the shelter told me to give him to adjust to his new home). Maybe it was the fact that I was trying to adjust, too.
Maybe we were too much alike.

I saw the sealed envelope. I had completely forgotten about that. “Okay, Reggie,” I said out loud, “let’s see if your previous owner has any advice.”
____________ _________ _________ _________

To Whomever Gets My Dog:

Well, I can’t say that I’m happy you’re reading this, a letter I told the shelter could only be opened by Reggie’s new owner. I’m not even happy writing it. He knew something was different.

So let me tell you about my Lab in the hopes that it will help you bond with him and he with you.

First, he loves tennis balls. The more the merrier. Sometimes I think he’s part squirrel, the way he hoards them. He usually always has two in his mouth, and he tries to get a third in there. Hasn’t done it yet. Doesn’t
matter where you throw them, he’ll bound after them, so be careful. Don’t do it by any roads.

Next, commands. Reggie knows the obvious ones —”sit,” “stay,” “come,” “heel.”

He knows hand signals, too: He knows “ball” and “food” and “bone” and “treat” like nobody’s business.

Feeding schedule: twice a day, regular store-bought stuff; the shelter has the brand.

He’s up on his shots. Be forewarned: Reggie hates the vet. Good luck getting him in the car. I don’t know how he knows when it’s time to go to the vet, but he knows.

Finally, give him some time. It’s only been Reggie and me for his whole life. He’s gone everywhere with me, so please include him on your daily car rides if you can. He sits well in the backseat, and he doesn’t bark or complain. He just loves to be around people, and me most especially.

And that’s why I need to share one more bit of info with you…His name’s not Reggie. He’s a smart dog, he’ll get used to it and will respond to it, of that I have no doubt. But I just couldn’t bear to give them his real name. But if someone is reading this … well it means that his new owner should know his real name. His real name is “Tank.” Because, that is what I drive.

I told the shelter that they couldn’t make “Reggie” available for adoption until they received word from my company commander. You see, my parents are gone, I have no siblings, no one I could’ve left Tank with .. and it was my only real request of the Army upon my deployment to Iraq, that they make one phone call to the shelter … in the “event” … to tell them that Tank could be put up for adoption. Luckily, my CO is a dog-guy, too, and he knew where my platoon was headed. He said he’d do it personally. And if you’re reading this, then he made good on his word.

Tank has been my family for the last six years, almost as long as the Army has been my family. And now I hope and pray that you make him part of your family, too, and that he will adjust and come to love you the same way he
loved me.

If I have to give up Tank to keep those terrible people from coming to the US I am glad to have done so. He is my example of service and of love. I hope I honored him by my service to my country and comrades.

All right, that’s enough. I deploy this evening and have to drop this letter off at the shelter. Maybe I’ll peek in on him and see if he finally got that third tennis ball in his mouth.

Good luck with Tank. Give him a good home, and give him an extra kiss goodnight – every night – from me.

Thank you,

Paul Mallory
____________ _________ _________ _______

I folded the letter and slipped it back in the envelope. Sure, I had heard of Paul Mallory, everyone in town knew him, even new people like me. Local kid, killed in Iraq a few months ago and posthumously earning the Silver
Star when he gave his life to save three buddies. Flags had been at half-mast all summer.

I leaned forward in my chair and rested my elbows on my knees, staring at the dog.

“Hey, Tank,” I said quietly.

The dog’s head whipped up, his ears cocked and his eyes bright.

“C’mere boy.”

He was instantly on his feet, his nails clicking on the hardwood floor. He sat in front of me, his head tilted, searching for the name he hadn’t heard in months. “Tank,” I whispered.

His tail swished.

I kept whispering his name, over and over, and each time, his ears lowered, his eyes softened, and his posture relaxed as a wave of contentment just seemed to flood him. I stroked his ears, rubbed his shoulders, buried my
face into his scruff and hugged him.

“It’s me now, Tank, just you and me. Your old pal gave you to me.” Tank reached up and licked my cheek.

“So whatdaya say we play some ball?” His ears perked again.

“Yeah? Ball? You like that? Ball?”

Tank tore from my hands and disappeared into the next room. And when he came back, he had three tennis balls in his mouth.

HEARTWORM AWARENESS

Why We Need to Talk About Heartworms

By Cesar Millan

Heartworms! I know it is not everyone’s favorite topic, especially around breakfast, but it is very important to talk about heartworms and learn how your dog can get infected. It is also important to understand what heartworms can do to the health of your pet.

Many pet owners believe that a dog can get heartworms by coming in contact with an infected dog or picking up the worms from the environment, but this is simply not the case. The only way your dog can get heartworms is from a mosquito bite. It does not matter if your dog is the outdoor type or a pampered indoor yorkie- all dogs are at risk of getting heartworms.

The mosquito deposits the heartworm larvae on the dog and the worms start a 3 month migration to the heart and lungs. The larvae grow into adult worms and damage the arteries in the lungs. It may take time for the clinical signs, such as exercise intolerance or coughing to appear. Heartworms can be potentially fatal to your dog.

The good news is that you can prevent heartworm disease in your dog by giving them a monthly preventive year round, as recommended by the American Heartworm Society.

The good news is that you can prevent heartworm in your dogs by giving them a monthly heartworm disease preventive year round.

April is Heartworm Awareness Month and Ceasarsway.com has information about a fun contest— “Why Your Dog Deserves 12 Doses” —sponsored by Merial, maker of HEARTGARD® Plus (ivermectin/pyrantel). You could win a $100 American Express gift card! Check out the contest page for more details and contest rules.

Your dog is counting on you. If you care, be aware!

Stay calm and assertive,
Cesar

TRAINING

Who Gets the Dog After a Break Up?

By Nicole Pajer

Breakups inevitably come with the splitting up of material possessions—taking what you initially came into the relationship with and divvying up items like couches and coffee tables. But what happens when you own a dog together? Figuring out what to do with a dog that you owned with an ex can be a tough and emotional battle. While it’s easy to say that you’d like to take Fido yourself, it’s best to keep the dog’s interest in mind when deciding its post-breakup fate.

Just like in dealing with kids in a divorce or breakup, there are three typical scenarios that former couples with a shared dog can explore:

1. You split custody

“My ex and I have had joint custody for 2 years. It works really well and we’ve worked it out so one of us has the dog for a week and then we switch for the next week.” —Lisa Chang

2. You give full custody to the other person

“When Josh and I split, I had to move somewhere where I couldn’t have a dog. The lawyer asked if I wanted visitation rights in the divorce papers, however, I was moving and starting a very demanding job and wouldn’t have the proper time to devote to spending time with Duncan. I figured it would be too hard on him for me to just pop into his life sporadically. I gave Josh full custody. It was hard on Duncan at first but in the long run, I took comfort in knowing that he was able to be with the parent that had the most time to devote to him.” —Hilary Parker

3. One of the owners takes custody but gives the other visitation rights

“Emily took Charlie when we broke up. It was hard to give him away but we worked it out so I could still visit him. I go pick him up and take him to the park every now and then and even though I’m not around much anymore, he’s still always happy to see me.” —Bob Browne

After assessing your options, how do you decide which scenario works best for you? While many of these decisions are settled in court, The Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) recommends amicably working this out with your ex while taking lifestyle factors into consideration. Before deciding who is going to keep the dog and how you are going to handle custody, consider:

• Who is moving to a new home? A break up can be stressful enough on a pet without it having to relocate to new environment.
• If the pet belonged to one of the owners before entering into the relationship, the couple should consider giving custody to that person as the dog may be more attached to them.
• Who has the most time to properly care for the dog? It’s only fair that your beloved pet is able to spend time with the owner that has enough flexibility in their schedule to exercise and spend time with it.
• Do you have children that are attached to the dog? If so, it may be best to have the dog live with whichever parent the children will live with.
• Do you have more than one dog? While an obvious solution may be for each person in the relationship to take one of the dogs, it’s important to assess how attached the dogs are to one another. Splitting them up may cause more of an emotional strain than you think.
• If you are considering co-parenting, is it possible for you to maturely work out a shared custody situation? It may sound like a good idea but it only really works when you’re able to put aside your differences for the sake of your dog. You will have to see each other when transferring the dog between homes after all.

Splitting up is never easy, especially when there is a beloved pet involved. Whether or not you and your ex decide to share custody, give the dog to solely one of you, or draw up visitation rights, make sure that you have your dog’s best interest at heart.

How did you handle dog custody when your relationship ended? Let us know in the comments section below.

RESCUE

Saving Pit Bull Walter

It was Easter Sunday. Brooklyn bartender Alex Darsey was on his way to the gym when he spotted the young dog struggling to walk toward him. Malnourished, dehydrated, with chemical burns on his skin and a case of mange that had taken away all his hair, the Pit Bull looked to be on his last legs. A passerby told Darsey that he had just been tossed from a passing car.

“I was horrified,” says Darsey, 39, a native of Minnesota who has lived in New York City for ten years. “I was shocked to see the state he was in.”

Realizing he couldn’t leave the severely abused animal on the street, Darsey called Kenan and Ro Juska, a pair of animal-loving friends. They picked up Darsey and the dog and drove them to the Veterinary Emergency & Referral Group of Brooklyn (VERG), a 24-hour facility that specializes in emergency treatment for animals.

There, Dr. Brett Levitzke, VERG’s medical director, shared their outrage and horror. The mange, he says, was the worst case he had ever seen. “I was disgusted that a human being could let that happen to him. We see cases of mange all the time, but never to that extent,” Levitzke says. It was, he says, clearly caused by “neglect and abuse that allowed it to get to such a level.”

The burn symptoms were probably caused by a chemical, possibly bleach. Darsey thinks it was someone’s ill-advised attempt to treat the mange.

In spite of the veterinary bills he knew he would be facing, Darsey decided to take the dog home that night, naming him Walter Sunday—Walter for actor Walter Matthau, of whom the dog reminded him, and Sunday for the day on which he was found.

After a week of caring for Walter, administering antibiotics and medicated soap to treat the mange, Darsey noticed that his condition was worsening. “He stopped eating, and his condition quickly became critical,” he says. “He was making horrible sounds, he couldn’t retain liquids, and his skin felt cold, like a dead animal’s skin. I was pretty sure he was dying.”

Back at VERG, veterinarians discovered secondary infections caused by Walter’s weakened immune system. They couldn’t predict whether Walter would live, leaving Darsey and his friends with a difficult choice: Go into debt for a dog who might not live—or walk away and let him be put down.

They decided to save Walter.

And VERG assured Darsey that they would work with him on the medical expenses.

Walter, who was kept at the hospital for several days, was given protein supplements, put on an IV, and placed in an incubator. To help pay for the treatment, Darsey and his friends, who up until now had been paying all medical expenses, launched a fund-raising effort in Walter’s name.

They started a blog named Help Save Walter!(helpsavewalter.blogspot.com) with pictures of Walter along with his harrowing story, to inform others and, they hoped, generate donations on his behalf. Thanks to that, and media coverage—including an appearance on the Today show where Jill Rappaport told his story—thousands of compassionate people around the world contributed enough money over the next several months to help Walter receive the care he needed.

Darsey says it was enough to not only pay for Walter’s medical expenses, but also make donations in Walter’s name to local shelters and animal welfare organizations.

In addition, VERG is in the process of creating a fund in Walter’s name, using some of the money raised through the blog to help rescued animals like Walter that are in need of medical attention.

As for Walter, the lucky dog who was left for dead a few months back is now healthy, happy, and officially adopted, living in Park Slope with Alex Darsey, his rescuer and new best friend.