March ’07 Newsletter

Pet Food Recall News Alert!

A major manufacturer of dog and cat food has recalled much of its pet food due to illness and deaths of pets. Popular brands such as Eukanuba, Nutro and Iams along with many store brands are a part of the recall. Please check to be sure you are not feeding food from a package on the recall list. Each brand links to specific dates and product codes. Check so you can be sure your dog or cat is safe!

If your pet has stopped eating and doesn't appear well, immediately check their food and tell your vet if your pet has ingested any food from the recall list. If your pet has been diagnosed recently with renal (kidney) failure, double check their food was not the cause and make sure you stop feeding them any food from the list.

Pet Food Recall newsarticles and links:

• Why people who feed a high quality food with strict quality controls are not worried about tainted ingredients in their pet's food.
• Recall product list
• Recalled food linked to rat poison
• MSNBC article
• USA Today article
• Offical Press Release
• Yahoo Article
• Dog Food Project links and discussion

Indoor Doggy Activities

by Bridget Wessel

Let's pretend for a moment you are your dog. You have no job or duties besides eating, keeping someone's lap warm and perhaps barking at a few strangers who dare pass in front of your house. Your days consist of a lot of sleeping, as do your nights. This might sound like a great vacation to us humans, but if you think about doing this everyday for your whole life, you would probably consider it very boring. Your body and brain would get no exercise. You would probably end up with some strange personality quirks like chasing your tail, licking your feet, chewing anything you can find, peeing wherever you want, and you just might get a little grouchy. Food becomes your only excitement in life, so you do everything you can to get some of that great smelling food your humans eat, instead of the same boring dry food they feed you every day.

When you bring a dog into your home, you aren't just adding a little life to your own. You are adding a responsibility for a life that depends solely on you for everything. You know your IG makes you feel like you are their world, and that feeling isn't too far off. As dog owners, we alone have the capacity to fill our dogs' lives with excitement and stimulation, or leave them to be nothing more than a bored prisoner.

Dogs are domesticated wolves. We might believe we've bred out any needs other than eating kibble and snuggling by the fireplace, but this just isn't the case. Many dogs are put to sleep every day or surrendered to rescue because they did not meet their owners' expectations, instead of the owners giving the dogs what they need. This doesn't mean we need to let our dogs loose in a forest so they can track and hunt down their own food every day. (Even though my IG Simon would revel in this life, he isn't going to get it.) However, we can help stimulate their brains and provide an outlet for their hereditary behaviors.

Thinking is Hard Work

The best way to tire out a dog is to make them use their brains. Spring is a great time to get back into or start an obedience class. Look for a class that uses positive rewards of treats. The trainer will be able to assess your dog and tell you which class level your dog is ready for. Obedience training will help you understand your dog, and your dog understand you, as well as strengthen the bond between you.

Agility classes are another great way to use up your dog's energy and spend enjoyable time with your dog. Even if your dog is older or a little out of shape, a good agility instructor can tailor exercises to your dog's abilities.

When taking classes, and even after classes are over, it's always a good idea to have short 10 to 15 minutes training sessions at home as often as possible. These short sessions will work your dog's mind, help tire him or her out, and make your dog look a lot smarter in class. Best of all, they'll be entertained and you'll be working towards living with a well behaved dog.

Make sure you and the dog are having fun when you're training. Keep an upbeat attitude and always end on a positive note. If your dog doesn't understand a maneuver you're working on, take a break and try again tomorrow. It's amazing how, after a break, my dogs often figure out the new trick they previously had difficulty learning.

Working for a Living

Most people's dogs never have to work for food. Their families simply provide them with full bowls periodically. If this is the case in your home, dinner time is a prime opportunity to give your dog something to do. Instead of pouring food out for your dogs, make them work their meals out of a TreatStik™. TreatStiks™ are tubes with screw-caps on one end and small holes near the other. Fill the stick with your dogs' dinners and let them figure out how to get all the kibble out through the hole. It might take some dogs a couple tries to really get the idea, but once they learn how, they really enjoy working the food out. And watching them is fun for you, too.

According to wolf biologist David Mech, wolves follow a predatory sequence when they hunt. They search, stalk, rush, chase, bite/hold/shake/kill, and dissect & eat their prey. If you've ever watched an Italian Greyhound lure course, you would have noticed many of these predatory behaviors are still alive and kicking in our dogs. According to Jean Donaldson in her book " TheCultureClash", "A great way to develop outlets for your dog is to come up with stylized games involving behaviors in the search, stalk, chase, grab and hold sequence. ... Providing this kind of stimulation on a regular basis is the first line of defense against behavior problems.(p. 24)" Jean Donaldson does a great job of explaining the reasons to practice these games and what games use these behaviors in chapter two of "The Culture Clash". Most of her games can be played indoors. Donaldson explains playing Hide and Seek, Retrieving (fetch), Tug-of-War, De-stuffing toys and Organized Dog Sports. We will cover organized dog sports in May's newsletter. But here's an overview of the games you can play indoors.

Hide and Seek

We play a version of Hide and Seek at our house. Our version uses their search and dissect predatory behaviors. I first stuff toys meant to hold treats. You can stuff toys like Kongs, Squirrel Dudes and Twist 'n Treats. These kinds of toys can be found in many pet stores. Any small treat your dog will find irresistible will do as stuffing. Yogurt and peanut butter make great gooey treats your dog will really have to work to get out. Make sure the treats are small enough your dog can get them through the opening, and put the yogurt or peanut butter near the edge so your dog can reach it with his tongue.

Starting out, you'll need to train your dog to search. Just because searching is hereditary, doesn't mean your dog will naturally know what you expect of him. I first work with one dog at a time, hiding the stuffed treat toy in an easy to find location. When I bring the dog into the room, I say in a cheery voice "where is it?". If the dog doesn't start searching, I walk over and point to where the toy is hidden. When the dog finds the toy, I say, "Yay!!". I make a huge deal of the dog finding the hidden toy, "good boy, good boy, good boy!". Let the dog get excited and have his time with the treat toy so he gets his reward. I always let my dog finish with the treat toy before I pick it up and start over.

After a few tries, your dog should start sniffing for the hidden toy. As the dog figures out his end of the game, I help out less and less. I never let my dog become bored with the activity. Anytime he has trouble finding the treat toy, I start helping by pointing to the general area where he will find his prey..err treat toy. Don't help them out too much, though. You want them to learn to look for it, not wait for you to point it out. As the dog gets better at finding the toy, I hide it in tougher places like under a blanket or stuck between cushions in the sofa with a pillow on top.

When I play this game, I put all three of my dogs (plus any foster dogs) in a room with the door closed. I then hide one treat toy for each dog in a room. When I open the door, RUSH! the dogs fly out and start sniffing for a "prey". Using stuffed treat toys allows more than one dog to engage in the fun because working out the treats keeps the dogs who found a toy busy, while the others keep looking.

If your dog isn't used to working treats out of toys, you can play a version of this game hiding only treats. However, if you hide only treats, it's more difficult to play with more than one dog and your dog doesn't get to use his dissecting behavior. Another version is to have someone hold your dog (or have your dog stay if they have a great stay) and go hide yourself. You can call out to your dog the first few times and give a jackpot of treats when your dog finds you. This exercise of finding you can then be practiced in higher distraction locations like at a dog park. Each time you work on a skill with your dog under higher distractions, set easier goals and reward more at first. Soon, you won't have to look for your dog, your dog will find you!

Fetch

Most Italian Greyhounds are not natural retrievers. However, you can teach your dog to play fetch. Start with only your dog, you, and a soft ball your dog can easily pick up. Get your dog interested in the ball. Move the ball around, tease your dog with it, let him follow the ball movement and maybe even pounce. Praise any movement the dog gives toward the ball. If your dog is reluctant to go for the ball but is treat driven, you can get out treats and reward any interest in the ball. If your dog goes for the ball, the ball itself can be the reward. Once your dog is interested in the ball, toss it a couple feet. If your dog gets the ball, praise him and get silly about it.

The next step is to get him to come back to you with the ball. Toss the ball and then call him back to you using a very happy up-beat voice. Reward with a treat or game of tug, if he comes back with the ball. The amount of praise and treats you need to use, depend on how your dog progresses. If your dog takes to playing fetch slowly, you will need to break the game into smaller steps and only progress once your dog has mastered each step. Donaldson goes into much more detail of teaching Fetch in her book. She has also never seen a dog who could not be trained to enjoy fetch when "given enough time and an adequate approach".

Tug-of-War

Some trainers still tell their clients to never play tug of war, claiming it's a game of dominance. They believe if you lost the game, your dog would start plotting ways to take over the household. However, if you watch wolves tug apart an animal, they are actually working together. You could think of tug-of-war as you and your dog cooperating together to umm... "kill" or "dismember" a stuffie. Tugging also helps build the muscles in their back legs which is a great exercise for agility. There are some rules to follow when playing tug-of-war, however, so you can keep the game under control. The SPCA has an article very similar to Jean Donaldson's Tug-of-War directions and rules in her book. (Hint: the rules are not difficult to follow.)

Chewies

Dogs need to chew. Chewing exercises their jaws and since most dogs eat kibble, they don't get to use their natural inclination to spend hours ripping flesh and meat from bones. Remember, dogs are descended from wolves! When we settle down to watch a TV show, we've found chewies can be great dog sitters.

There are many different chewies your dog would just love to sink his teeth into. SitStay.com has a wide variety such as Bully Sticks, Puffed Pig Snouts, Flossies and Porky Jerky Pumpers. Many pet stores carry Merrick chews, which my dogs all love. When evaluating chews, look for some that are 100% digestible and and are sold by companies that don't use harsh chemicals when making their products. Many cheap rawhides do not meet these qualifications. If you have multiple dogs and they guard their chews from each other, you can always separate them when they have chewies by closing them into separate rooms or crating them.

Time to Think

Dogs, just as much as people, need stimulation for their minds as well as their bodies. During long cold nights, when many IG's can't last more than a few minutes outside, it's important to keep them active with fun indoor games. The alternative is a dog that will do just about any naughty activity it can just to stay entertained. Hopefully you have learned a slew of games you can play with your dog indoors that will get their minds going, keep them mentally stimulated, and that are enjoyable for both you and your dog.

As the weather gets warmer keep an eye on your inbox. In the next two newsletters we will cover outdoor activities.

Bridget Wessel lives with her husband Erik and four dogs: Simon, Brodie and Sophie (IGs) and Caina (mixed breed). She has been fostering for IG rescue for almost four years and loves to see her former fosters bloom in their forever homes. An advocate for training and dog sports, her own dogs (all rescues) enjoy obedience, agility, and lure coursing.

Where Are They Now?

We asked a couple of enthusiastic adopters to tell us about their new family member. We enjoy updates on the IGs who made their way through rescue to their forever homes, and we hope you do too!

Smokey - adopted February 18th, 2007 by Kathy and Tom

In your opinion, what are some of the benefits of adopting a rescue, or, why did you adopt? The best thing about adopting a rescue is knowing that you are helping to " save" one of the numerous unwanted pets in our world, and knowing that you didn't support an unethical breeder, a puppy mill, or pet-for-profit stores. It's great to know that you're part of the solution and not part of the problem. I tell everyone who asks me about Smokey that he was a rescue, in order to encourage others to rescue, and I have received a lot of positive feedback and "good for you" comments. I love the idea of adopting a dog that already has a bit of personality, and really needs a home. In addition, a more selfish reason, is that Smokey already was bathroom trained, knew commands, and is through the sometimes difficult early puppy years. He is no less cute, and all the more loving as a two year old dog. While all dogs need and deserve a loving home, it is only through support of ethical adoptions and avoidance of unethical adoptions that the vast puppy-for-profit and cruelty will be minimized and, with hope, ulitimately end.

What commands does your dog know? Smokey came to us knowing SIT, TOUCH, UP, and DOWN. He continues to SIT well. He will TOUCH his nose and two paws to an open or closed hand on the floor. He is getting better at DOWN, but sometimes confuses it with SIT or just does it when he's trying to figure out what we're telling him...in order to get a treat! If we tap our shoulders and say UP, Smokey will sometimes jump up into a "hugging" position and we catch him. He is still a little apprehensive about this and won't always do it, although he definetly knows what we mean when we say UP. At our first agility class he caught on to STAY very quickly. We've tried it at home and he continues to understand it well! He also seems to know NO, however he is selective about when he chooses to listen! Our personal favorites is HUGS, although I don't really consider it a command. Anytime we want a hug from Smokey we just get around eye-level or a bit higher and say HUGS. Then, he will jump up and put is paws on our shoulders for a hug. I think we like this trick more than he does!!

If this is your first IG, was there anything that surprised you about this breed after you brought yours home? Before adopting I read A LOT about the breed - mostly from the rescue online site and email forwards from the rescue. Although I learned a lot through reading, I was still amazed by many things....1. Smokey actually does like some aspects of the outdoors, such as rolling in the grass, sticking his nose in anything, and digging in the dirt. 2. IGs actually can go to the bathroom outside! After all I read I was convinced my house would be a giant IG bathroom, however Smokey has had very few "accidents." 3. I knew IGs liked attention from their people, but everyday we still find Smokey's constant attentiveness SO humorous and endearing! We love that he loves to be by us, and although we knew he would like to cuddle, we never imagined he would be SO cuddly - we love it! What's sometimes surprising is how close he must cuddle...he sometimes has to press his whole face to ours and attempt to pin us down with his body! 4. We were aware of Smokey's great running and jumping ability, however the first time he took off running in circles around the house and jumping off furniture was amazing! We just stood still so we wouldn't get in the way - we were afraid he would get hurt. A few times I've watched him I was hysterical laughing at how silly he was. Now we take him in the backyard or basement for some daily laps! 5. After our daily walks he is more excited and playful rather than tired?! 6. Smokey is NOT a morning person. We have to wake him up in the morning....sometimes even after almost 10 hours of sleep! 7. Finally, I always knew I needed a dog in my life, but I am still surprised by how much love and joy Smokey has brought to our lives. It's amazing that one little dog can do so much!

What is your favorite thing to do with your newly adopted IG? Definetly HUGS or cuddling on the couch. My husband and I love taking Smokey for walks and playing with his toys, but the best thing about the relationship with him is all the little things during the day when Smokey is following us around or snuggling with us on the couch. After we had Smokey for about a week my husband told me he couldn't imagine life without him anymore, and neither could I!!

What's is your favorite personality quirk about your IG? There are so many! 1. Digging anything...the couch, blankets, dirt, a bed sheet. Luckily it hasn't caused any damage...just funny to watch. 2. One minute Smokey can be calm...then the next minute he is ready to play. If you try to play with him when he's "not in the mood" then he'll just ignore you. 3. If we both give each other the "look" you know for sure he wants to play and will be ready to pounce on you! 4. He barks at dogs at a distance, but gets scared if they are close. He's a baby sometimes :) 5. Just his personality overall. He is very in-tune with everything going on and his people. It's hard to explain, but really sweet and amazing.

How many IG's are in your family? One. If my husband's allergies continue to do well with Smokey, then we would like to adopt another. However, I really think Smokey is liking being the center of our lives and attention!

What about your IG keeps you the busiest and what do you to keep your IG busy? We like to keep Smokey busy. We are constantly thinking about the last time he went out, if he has pooped yet during the day, and if he has to go out again. If we're home we "remind" him to go out about every two hours. If he seems playful, which is easy to tell because he prances around and takes out his toys, then we take him downstairs to the basement to throw his toys and run around with him (we avoid playing on our first floor as he slips on the wood, however the basement is carpetted.) Since it's gotten warmer Smokey goes on at least one walk per day. We have met a LOT of admiring human friends and some dog aquantances on our walks. I enjoy hearing people tell me about Smokey's beautiful coloring (blue), and how cute and friendly he is!! We're also busy going to agility class once a week. In addition, we try to include some sort of special event each week. Last week we went to Petsmart and the vet, and this week we visited my grandparents.

Smokey can also keep us busy with his attention or simply not wanting to be alone when we're doing other things (working on the computer, cleaning, running on the treadmill, etc). His idle mind has proven troublesome...one slightly chewed shoe (luckily it was from Payless), one chewed lamp cord (luckily he wasn't electrocuted), and some scattered potpourii! So, we try to keep him busy. We have found that a bone, chew, laying by the fireplace, or sunbathing are all great "babysitters" for Smokey. Probably the biggest challenge for us is going to work each day, letting Smokey out midday, and getting home early to spend time with him...I wish we could just stay home every day with him! Luckily he likes his crate and we spend a lot of quality time together when we're home!

Zizzo (formerly Tank) - adopted February 10th, 2007 by Johanna

I have always been interested in Sight Hounds, and when I discovered that the Italian Greyhound was used as one of the foundation breeds for the Toy Fox Terrier (one of the other dogs I own), I did some research on it. The breed appealed to me for many reasons. I liked the size, the ease of coat care, and their athletic ability, since I am getting into agility. I was thinking about looking for a breeder who might be having a litter down the road, not thinking I was quite ready for another dog yet, when I stumbled across the Midwest Italian Greyhound Rescue web-site. I couldn't believe all the beautiful, sweet looking dogs that needed homes. And there were four puppies that had just been rescued from a mill! After talking it over with my husband I decided to apply to adopt one of them.

When Carol Sumbry first called me and told me about Tank, he really sounded like the dog for me. He had been with Carol for two and a half months, he was now only five and a half months. He was sweet, already knew basic commands like sit, down, and--most important--the recall! He was also working on leave it. He was good in his crate and was using a potty pad with great success. Since the weather was so cold at the time it was understandable that he was not pottying outdoors. I liked the fact that he had lived in a home. His basic temperament, health, and the way he responded to other dogs was already assessed.

When I first met Tank he was exactly as Carol had said he was. He played with me, seemed at home with other dogs, and had a boundless amount of energy. We decided that if the vet appointment to check out his knees worked out, he would be the one for me.

When the news came back that one of his knees was a little loose I was very disappointed. I had also looked at another puppy, who was a wonderful little dog, but I guess I had just been thinking Tank would work out. Because of the knee I didn't know what to do. I put much thought into the decision. I really believe that when we buy a dog or adopt a dog, we never know the future. Anything can happen down the road, and because of that I felt that I had to go with my heart. If Tank needed a surgery on a knee someday, then he would just have to have it. Hopefully it would tighten up on it's own.

It has been a month now that I have had Tank. His name is now Zizzo. He is a great dog. We are going to training classes at K9 OTC, where I am an instructor, and he is doing his business outside or in a pole barn with my other dogs: three Pembroke Corgis, and a Toy Fox Terrier! He has fit right in the group. The thing I love about him the most is how he wants to play. He would be happy if I played with him all day long. But, when I take a break, he likes to come up on my lap and cuddle. I would say that he is like my Toy Fox that way, very adaptable to the different things we do everyday.

At night he sleeps next to me under the covers. That was hard for Blink, the Toy Fox. Now Blink sleeps on one side and Zizzo on the other.

All in all, I have to say that I am VERY surprised how easy this adoption went. I would recommend to anyone to adopt an IG from the rescue. Perhaps all the dogs would not necessarily be as easy as Zizzo, he may have been an exception, but I feel that the foster mom (Carol) put so much of herself into getting this puppy ready for a new home. I also felt she was honest with me about his personality, his health issues, where he came from and the start he had in life. I also know that if I ever have any questions, I have someone who still cares about him that I can call and talk with.

Zizzo is only six months old now, and we are still getting to know each other. We are working on stays, heeling and play retrieving everyday. Sometimes I think about the start he had in that puppy mill and marvel that he ended up in my home! I know his life with me and my other dogs will be a great adventure, and he gives to us just as much as we give to him.

Thank you Carol and all the people at the rescue for all the work you do!

Share your favorite IG activity

The next couple newsletters will focus on outdoor activities you can do with your dog. If you have photos of your IG outside doing something (i.e. running, lure coursing, playing, catching a ball, out for a walk, doing agility) we would love to include the photos with the articles. Photos are due by April 15th.

Please note, by sending us a photo you are granting us the rights to reproduce it in the newsletter or elsewhere on the website, www.wisconsinigrescue.com. You never know, you might just see your IG's photo on the Wisconsin IG Rescue homepage! Please send your photos--along with the IGs' names, ages, adoption year and your full name--to newscontribute@wisconsinigrescue.com.

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