Happy Paws – Recall tips

July 6, 2016

training2

Nothing says summer like a romp at the beach with your dog, but what happens when Fido gets out of arm’s reach?

 

A strong recall (“come” command) helps keep pets safe.  Here’s some advice on how to train it from Tim Molina, Lead Trainer at Happy Paws Humane Pet Training.

  1. Call your pet, starting from a short distance away. Cheerful tones often produce better results. Remember to actually give the command “come.”
  2. Make yourself interesting. Clap, whistle, squat, open your arms, and cheer your dog in. Once he arrives, have him sit then spill the treats.  For your cat, make any sound that prompts him to come. Shake a bag of treats or open a can of cat food, then treat/feed as soon as he reaches you.

Tim abides by the Top 5 Rules of Recall when teaching this important skill.

  1. Never call your pet for something unpleasant such as nail clipping, medicating, bathing, or heading home from somewhere fun. For these activities, go to your pet instead.
  2. Never call your pet if you are not sure he will come. All recalls should be successful recalls. Work at your pet’s level. If he has a kindergarten level recall, don’t give him a graduate level assignment like being called away from a playmate or tasty treat.

Interested in learning all 5 Rules of Recall? Check out the Total Recall Course at Happy Paws. This class will teach you how to train your dog to come when called, even with distractions. While this course is just for dogs, remember that cats can be taught the recall command too!

Happy Paws is a collaborative project of the Chesapeake Humane Society, Norfolk SPCA, and Virginia Beach SPCA. Training offerings include individual consultations along with obedience, agility, shy, and reactive dog classes.

Grant from the ASPCA helps cats with medical needs

June 11, 2016casey

Casey was one of “long-timers” but I’m very pleased to report that this fella has been adopted! He is an older cat with diabetes, which means that he requires a special diet, two shots of insulin every day, and frequent trips to the vet. He certainly required a home that was willing to provide all of this for him … not an easy task to take on.

Thanks to a generous grant from the ASPCA, his medical care has been covered for the past six months AND he has found a loving forever home! We are very grateful to our adopter and for the grant which specifically covers medical care for cats with special needs (like Casey!) and in hospice care, made possible by Lil Bub‘s Big Fund for the ASPCA.

 

 

CHS in the News: Seniors for Seniors at YMCA

June 4, 2016
Pilot Online_YMCA article_LSK

Lacy Kuller, CHS Executive Director, recently participated in the YMCA’s Active Older Adults Day.  She brought along Henry, a five year old Chihuahua mix, to promote their Seniors for Seniors Adoption Program.  If you are interested in meeting Henry, he is currently available for adoption at Chesapeake Animal Services.

Click here for the full article in The Virginian-Pilot.

 

Chesapeake Humane Society Launches New Website

We are pleased to launch our new website…