Dogs downtown?not for our city counci.

Ok, I am giving a quick update after last night's city council meeting.  Despite the encouragement, the city council felt pretty strongly that they did not want any dog  play area in the downtown.  The hopefully good news is that there is apparently some interest in an entity to purchase or build on the empty lot where the Dotson building stood.  Not so good for the dog park idea, but good for commerce and development of downtown. I still support that.

So now what? There are other areas that are possible sites for a dog park.  The mayor did appoint 2 council members as dog park committe members and the submission for budget requests is about 1 1/2 months away.  This means that the city council supports a dog park but not in the downtown.  Back to the drawing board. 

Personally, I feel disappointed for not having a quickly developed dog park and also a chance to be  innovative  about how to redevelop space in an old downtown . This was a chance to draw people to our downtown.  Maybe an opportunity will come up again.  I hope so. 

So I will keep you posted.  There are lots of other ways to put a dog park together.  Some of the comittee people met tonight to look at other possible sites.   Private - Public what ever.  All is not lost - just going to take a little longer.  

Lastly, I really appreciate all the dog park committee people who came to the city council meeting as well as others who spoke up at the city council meeting.  There is a lot of support for  a dog park inside and outside of Tuscola.  We will keep the movement going and have a dog park in town.  I will keep you posted.
Dr, Sally Foote

Dogs downtown?

Dogs downtown? You bet!

Dotson building - 3 story brick in the middle

Demolished - now in clean up

After the demolition and clean up of the Dotson building on Sale Street in Tuscola, there will be a very vacant spot. In other words, a hole. Typically these vacant areas are detraction to the street unless there is a quick reuse of the property.  The best reuse of any property is one that fills a need in the community, improving  the lives of the community and can be shared by those outside of town.

I met with Brian Moody and Carly McCrory of TEDI shortly before the Dotson project began.   They asked my opinion about using that space as some kind of dog play or park area.  As it turns out surveys of the community revealed that a dog park, recreation areas and a place for shoppers at the Tanger mall who also have their pets in tow was greatly desired.   As timing would have it, some Hands 4 paws board members had discussed getting interest up for some kind of a dog play area in the future.

 

Checking Bella's manners outside the park

So the seeds of creating a dog park/play area have been sewn.  Information has been gathered about state regulations, how to run and maintain such a space, planning the use and layout of the space and some of the benefits and drawbacks of such a park.  I led a community meeting Tuesday at Jarman Center Senior Living  to outline some of these pros and cons.  Many good ideas came out, and groups have formed to present an initial plan to our city council. 

clean up stations need to be handy!

 Here are some of the pluses for our town.  First, it is an attraction to our downtown that is active.  Second, it can draw shoppers from the mall to our downtown, witnessing that there is much more to Tuscola IL than Route 36.  Third, it can provide an appropriate area for downtown residents who have dogs a place  to play and relieve themselves in an appropriate area. 

Fourth, Hands 4 paws along with local trainers, groomers, and veterinarians can use this space for educational, promotional, and fun events for the whole community.  Fifth the local shelter can hold adoption events or other events there. This list will certainly grow longer as we go along.

water - watch out for mud with grass

There are some drawbacks too.  Management and promotion of the park is essential to the success. There is a lot to consider even about the substrate - grass vs sand vs gravel vs mulch.  How high the fencing, how many dogs to allow in an area, membership vs day use, good doggie manners in the park, good people manners in the park too!  

Rules have to be very obvious

Actually from reading guidelines by APDT,CPDT,AKC, and U of CA Davis it is the human behavior that makes or breaks a dog park.  People talking on their cell phones, allowing their dogs to run far ahead and not able to call them away from a too rowdy dog leads to many scuffles and out right dangerous fights in the parks.  The human bringing a dog that chases down other dogs or aggresses on them makes a park bad.  So educating the dog owners about what the rules are and policing that is extremely important. Peer pressure from responsible owners is how I read about how rules are enforced - I wonder how that is really done.

A place for the humans

Some interesting ideas came about through the meeting as well.  Some people only want to see a large multi acre site developed.  That may be able to come about and certainly would have many attributes better than an empty lot site in downtown.  Calling the downtown area a "dog park" has people thinking of only a huge space so we are going to call it something else.  I will let you know what in future posts!   The best news is that there is support for both big and small dog play areas.  There are also critics and nay sayers which is to be expected.  The critics do help to screen out all the things that may go wrong so thank you for that.  In the end it looks like our downtown will not have just a hole in it, but a nice asset for dogs, owners and others.  There may also be an easier effort to developing a larger park for the future.  I will keep you all posted about this as time goes on.

Dr Sally J Foote

 

20 plus years ago when I moved my practice to Sale street people jokingly said “Downtown is going to the dogs!”   It has been a great place for the business, and the community to have pet related businesses in our downtown.  A dog play area is one more way to make our community great. I hope downtown keeps going to the dogs (and other pets!)– And the people who treasure them.

See you Tuesday!

Dr. Sally J Foote

Okaw Veterinary Clinic Tuscola IL

Adding a new friend to your furry family

speaking at U of I

I am starting off this year's public seminar topics with a talk about how to add a furry family member to your home. I am excited about offering this topic. I love to help people get a good start with a new furry friend.  This Sunday ( Jan. 22) I will be at Pet Tropics in Charleston at 2 pm, and next Sunday(Jan.29) at Prairie Land Feeds in Savoy Illinois.  All the talks are free, about 1 hour and please call us to let us know you are coming - 217-253-3221.
  Many people have adopted or purchased a new puppy or kitten at Christmas time.  I have also seen some newly adopted rescued pets from local shelters ( Hooray!).  The health care needs such as vaccination, worming, or neutering has usually been addressed.  What many new owners are missing is exactly how to help this new family member feel secure and know how to behave in this new home. If you look online you will be hit up with a bunch of information, some that may be contradictory or just TMI.  What usually happens is new owners just try to figure it all out by themselves and then they can run into some problems.  I just want to cover some of the most common problems in this new adjustment period here.  Come to my talks to get the whole story - and bring your questions too.

making friends at puppy class

For new puppies, not getting feeding on a routine twice daily with taking the pup out on leash hourly when out of the crate leads to housetraining problems. The fix?  No punishment - repeatedly doing the same steps- and everyone in the family participating is what leads to quick housetraining.

Keeping your puppy at home, not going on walks or meeting new people or things leads to fear problems later.  Get your puppy out for meeting and greeting and puppy kindergarten starting at 8 weeks old.

Butterscotch loves his daily walks

For older dogs - not holding to feeding, walking and play routines causes increased anxiety, accidents in the home, and may uncover aggression problems.  Keep these dogs on regular feeding schedules, walk them even if you have a fenced in yard, and use play as a reward and release for energy.

ranger still gets into things!

Kittens - They will get into many things, jump or climb onto counters and want to pounce on anything. Set up play times with your kitten for 15 minutes straight where they will chase a ball, laser light or pounce on a stuffed toy to tire them out.  Put their food into empty plastic bottles or Kleenex boxes to make them work for it and leave the garbage and counter tops alone.

adult cats - not adding a litter box, food dish and at least 3 new perching places for this new cat you add causes disagreements with any other cat in the house.  Cats don't really share well so provide extras for the new buddy.  Also humans need to play with the cats individually to help them have an outlet for play as well.

If everyone who has brought in a new pet to their home followed some of these points, our shelters would be about half as full as they are.  Preventing behavior problems by starting off the right way is the best way to build a good relationship with your pet from the start.  If you are having trouble and the usual advice is not working, ask your veterinary staff for help.  Some of the problems may be due to the age of the pet, possible health problems, or even genetics.  What the normal behavior is for your cat or dog at this age, with their health, and their breed is best addressed by your veterinary staff. 

Good luck and I hope to see you at some talks.

Dr. Sally J Foote  CFBC-IAABC 
www.drsallyjfoote.com

The Pickle gift

Have you ever hung a pickle ornament on your tree? The person who sees the pickle ornament gets to open the extra present under the tree.  Now this pickle would be a great present for your chew crazy doggie friend.

The Pickle Pocket un loaded  after a month of wear

Rachael, one of the veterinary behavior technicians at my clinic, has been very resourceful at asking companies for samples of food puzzles, and other items to try out.  The Pickle Pocket treat dispensing toy from Starmark company was one that came in and has been under Bella trial for the past month. I wanted to give the toy some time, and various abuses before reporting on it.

At first, I thought that this won't last because it is so soft.  Bella is a voracious chewer on her food puzzle toys.  Anything with some give to it, and she wants to really chew it up.  So this soft feeling, almost firm jelly like toy was not going to stand up to her teeth. I am happy to say I am wrong. Bella has bounced it, chewed on it, I have flung it down the stairs as a part of play and this toy is showing almost no wear!  I have not had time to research the materials,  but I suspect it is a strong silicone that has that soft feel but is durable.

loading the Pickle

So here is how it works - this puzzle is for the advanced food puzzler.  All Shepard type dogs will likely love this.  The smarter your dog, the better they will enjoy this.  You put the kibble in the wavy grooves cut into the sides of the pickle.  The groves go deep, so the farther you push in the kibble, the harder the dog has to chew or bounce the pickle around to get the kibble out. It may be frustrating at first but over time you dog will devise a way to get the kibble out. You can be nice and load kibble near the top surface of the groove making it easier for your dog, then push it deeper as your dog learns how to get the kibble out. 

All loaded up for Bella - this will be a challenge for her

Bella chomping on her Pickle

Some great features about the Pickle - it is easily washed.  I imagine you could put it through the dishwasher - I have not.  It easily rinses clean and has some kind of scent of it's own , like a vanilla scent. No stinky dog toy here.   Some puzzles have a  vinyl smell at first, but not this one.  The shape is easy for a dog to hold between the paws or any other angle.  You could put your dog's regular food kibble in it  as a way to feed breakfast or dinner to keep them occupied. Granted it will take a few refillings  but it could get you up to an hour of peace and quiet as you want to drink your morning coffee or make some Christmas cookies without some little doggie under foot.

I looked at the website and saw that the Pickle Pocket floats in water, so if you are near a lake, or a pool it won't get lost.  Here is a link to a catalog that has it for sale  http://www.carealotpets.com/Products/Starmark-Pickle-Pocket-Treat-Dispensing-Toy__36814.aspx which would make a great Christmas pickle present for your pet!

Try out a Pickle pocket toy and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to!
Dr. Sally J Foote
Okaw Veterinary Clinic Tuscola Illinois

Happy 2012 !

Last Day of Boot Camp

Ok, so here we are at the end of week one.   Bella was really good today.  She did not get all crazy over squirrels on her walk, she did not do any counter cruising, remote grabbing, over barking and did not attempt to chase Ranger when she came to the clinic with me.  When we has supper she laid down and politely waited for her kibble which she only got when she was calm.  She was so focused on sitting for her dinner, she cut her greeting to Glenda a bit short.  Usually Bella is all wiggly wagging tail which is ok for us.  Tonight she did a little then sat on her bed awaiting her kibble time.  Glenda was a little disappointed but proud of her at the same time.

Tom is using the learn to earn too.  This has helped a lot with Bella

 We will continue on this program until it becomes habit for her and us.  These next few weeks will be concentrating on her being less reactive around other dogs.  Look out for more posts!

The last days of Bella Boot camp

 I am combining Saturday and Sunday's progress for Bella.

I figured now is the time to up the effort.  Get Bella out amongst the squirrels, other dogs and things that make her bark ballistically - in her over reactive, uncontrolled impulse drive state.  So, we played ball in the mornings without any fuss.  There were fat squirrels running up and down our walnut tree and she looked but caught her ball and returned back to me for more play.  This is a lot of work for Bella.  Normally she would be jumping up the tree ( at least 4 feet vertical)  as she barked at the squirrels running up the tree. But Saturday and Sunday she just barked a little and did not tree them.

Tom is taking part in her boot camp. She is settled and taking kibble when good

My dad was over for lunch after church and usually Bella would bark and be very timid of his wheeled walker.  Today she was not as timid or barky.  She dropped her ball for him to play with her and accepted easily food kibble and settled on her bed in the kitchen. Dad even commented how much better she was.

 The big thing today - she walked down an alley where 2 active english setters stay in a pen. She saw the pen but only looked at them and was focused on me as I walked her past with an occasional kibble. This would typically have been a point of her jumping, barking, pulling at her leash etc, etc, etc. 

Now that Bella is not such a PITA he can enjoy the dog bed too

Bella did well today!

Bella's boot camp

This is the long leash - harness for Bella to run on in our yard

Friday - day 5 of Bella's boot camp.  I am putting Bella on her harness and playing fetch with the tennis ball in the morning before breakfast  which has always been her routine.  2 milestones this morning - She barked at the neighbor walking down the alley but came when I called her and focused on chasing the ball as the woman passed.  Usually I would have to pull her in like a huge fish on a line, but not this am.

The really big improvement was when Bella saw the black and white cat.  There is a neighborhood black and white cat that Bella usually goes ballistic barking and wanting to chase after when she sees it.  It all started when she was a puppy and we wanted to chase the cat out of the yard because my friends 2 toddler children would not stop trying to pet it.  So that night long ago, we put Bella and Butterscotch out on their long leashes and they barked at the cat so it ran out of the yard.  Since then, Bella sees the cat and wants to go chase it.  Talk about quick learning!

Butter gets his rewards for being calm too

So this morning as Bella runs to get her ball, there is the black and white cat sitting about 50 yards away right in the middle of the street.  Bella looked at the cat, but did not bark or run out towards it.  I called her and she came to me with her ball and we continued to play!  For her to not react to the cat, chase, bark and be able to be called away is huge! 

There was still a little barking at dinner time, but not as much as the day before.  Improvement is coming every day.