Book Review: 30 Days to a Well-Mannered Dog by Tamar Gellar

Book Review: 30 Days to a Well-Mannered Dog by Tamar Gellar, 2010


This book offers more advice than her previous book, The Loved Dog. The week-by-week lessons provide a good training guide. Each week, you build upon previous lessons.

Now, did Gracie magically become a well-mannered dog in 30 days? No. For starters, there were some things she had already mastered – housebreaking, sit, leave it, et cetera.

The main problem, though, is dedication on my part. As with all training, if you do not commit the time, you do not get the result. However, I have learned a few tips to apply on a daily basis. Plus, I have a good guide to follow when I stop being lazy.

I would definitely recommend this book as a great training resource. Ms. Gellar’s patient, loving approach will yield the results you want – if you make the time for training, of course!

Rescue Mommy

I Am A Bit Lazy

I read lots of books and articles about dog training. I do try to be consistent in my commands with Gracie. However, I confess that I have been a bit lazy lately.

Gracie is a bit stubborn. If you are not consistent and…I hate to say “firm,” but I think you know what I mean…she will do whatever she likes. She just looks around as if she wants to say, “What?? Did you say something??”

This week, we have been working on the basics again. She has not forgotten them. She just knows she does not always have to use them to get what she wants.

I tell this story because it is easy to let hectic schedules take over. The next thing you know, your dog is misbehaving, and you are frustrated. You do not train your buddy a command once and expect your friend to know it forever. Consistent application is the key to success. Now, let’s get out the treat bag and spend some time with our furry friends!

Rescue Mommy

Happy Thanksgiving!

From all of us at Rescue Pets Rule, have a safe Thanksgiving holiday with your human and furry friends and family. 

Squeaky Monkey Mania

Mini Stuffing Free Monkey Toy



By Petstages, Available at PetSmart, about $7

Gracie is crazy about the squeaky monkey toy, as evident from her numerous blogs about it. She was extremely disappointed when the puppy-on-loan broke it. Unfortunately, it took me a few weeks to find a replacement. Apparently, others have discovered the joy of the squeaky monkey toy too.

As you can see from the picture below, the toy is designed for smaller dogs. I would not recommend it for larger dogs or power chewers. Gracie plays with it for about 30 minutes or so, then moves on to another toy. The fabric would not withstand rough play, as the puppy certainly proved.

The toy itself is made of soft fabric covering a plastic tube. The tube is designed in such a way that it makes two noises: one high-pitched squeak, one deeper moan. The packaging claims that the chamber will squeak even if it is punctured. It will; however, the noises will not be as pronounced as they are when the chamber is intact. Gracie was disappointed when this happened and would not play with the toy very much after it happened.

I definitely recommend the toy, though. She absolutely loves it.

People Food Hazards - Thanksgiving Reload

Thanksgiving is Thursday. Let’s revisit the people food hazard list:

Alcohol
Avocado
Caffeine
Chives
Chocolate
Coffee
Garlic
Grapes and Raisins
Macadamia Nuts
Milk
Onions
Raw/Undercooked Meat, Eggs, and Bones (no turkey bones!)
Salt
Xylitol (artificial sweetener)
Yeast Dough

*Source: ASPCA website

If your pet eats any of these or other toxic items, call your vet immediately. You can also call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435. They charge a consulting fee for the call, though.

Stay calm. Be sure to note what and how much your pet has consumed. If you are not sure what it is, grab whatever is left and take it with you when you head to the vet’s office.

We hope you and your family have a safe, wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

Rescue Mommy

I Love Fall Too

I totally agree with Gracie. Fall is my favorite season. Few things are still in bloom, so a stroll in the woods does not result in clogged sinuses. The heat and humidity of summer has departed. The frigid, bone-chilling temps and mounds of snow have yet to arrive. It is perfect.

We have a few precious weeks before winter arrives. Get outside this weekend and spend some time with your buddy. Before we know it, a 5-minute stroll will require 50 layers of clothing. Let’s enjoy it while we can!

Rescue Mommy

Restrain Yourself

Last week, I was involved in a very minor traffic accident. Fortunately, no one involved was seriously hurt. No pets were inside either vehicle.

If Gracie, Kiki, or Maddy had been in the car, I can only hope they would have been okay too. When Gracie rides in the car, I use a very simple, inexpensive device to restrain her. It looks like a miniature leash. It attaches to her harness, and you then thread the loop through the seatbelt. It allows her to stand but otherwise restrains her in the seat. I found it at PetSmart for about $4.

Some people place their pets in carriers. This is the approach I take with the cats. I then secure the carrier by looping the seatbelt through the handle or using carrier straps (again, found at Petsmart) through which I thread the seatbelt. I would not want the carrier to shift about in travel or, in the worst case, come crashing forward in the event of an accident.

Regardless of the method you use, please consider using some sort of device to restrain your pet. Not only will it greatly improve his or her chance of surviving an accident, it might prevent one from occurring in the first place. Be safe!

Rescue Mommy

The Search Continues

We are still looking for a potential friend for Gracie. We attended another adoption fair over the weekend – without Gracie. We have decided that she is simply too anxious to offer any genuine reaction to another dog.  If we see anyone who looks promising, we will schedule a visit between the contender and her at a more neutral, less distracting location.

We spotted a lovely Dalmatian offered by a local humane society. It had so many spots that it was almost black. It looked like a great dog, still young. We were thrilled to see it had been adopted.

We found two beagles that looked promising. One was about five years old, which is older than we had planned to adopt. However, we really like her laidback energy. I (Rescue Mommy) hesitate because I do not want two dogs close to the same age. I worry that they would both die around the same time.

It is a really silly thing. Let’s face it. Perdy and Dino were four years apart in age, yet both died within a little over a year of each other. There are no guarantees in life.

The other beagle was about 1.5 years old. It was harder to get a read on his energy. Exhibiting typical beagle behavior, he was more interested in smelling every blade of grass and tracking his crate buddy, the 5-year old female.

We will continue to mull it over. Any advice is appreciated. We will keep you posted!

Rescue Mommy & Daddy

Christmas Tree Safety

As you have probably read by now, the Christmas tree is up at our house. It is an artificial tree, so there’s no need to protest deforestation for the sake of Christmas.

The tree always becomes a favorite cat toy during the time it is up. One year, I found Maddy lying deep inside the lower section of the tree! I am sure it is the same at your house. I wanted to offer a few tips and tricks I use when trimming the tree:

• Leave the icicles outside. I am not sure if these are a big thing where you live, but they are quite common here in the South. They are little bits of silver mystery material that basically have intestinal distress written all over them. Kiki encountered them on my mother’s tree once and LOVED them. They certainly made for an interesting litter box cleaning that week.

• Sacrifice a few ornaments for the “kids.” I place a few non-breakable ornaments on the lower limbs. Let the furry kids play with them and place the nicer stuff higher on the tree.

• Fishing line can be your friend. One year, I decorated the tree with beautiful glass ornaments. I used fishing line to tie the ornaments to the tree. Yes, it took longer to decorate the tree and much longer to disassemble it later. Not a single ornament was broken, though.

• Speaking of fishing line, watch out for hooks. I found plastic ornament hooks and use them, instead of the old-fashioned metal kind. I figure plastic would do less damage to paws than metal would. I also wrap the hook several times around the limb. I do not want the cats (or dog) to eat any hook, plastic or metal.

• Hold your tree hostage. If you fear your buddies are going to pull down the tree, place a small hook in the wall. Tie the fishing line to the tree and through the hook. Sure, you will have a small hole in the wall to patch later. What’s worse? A little hole in the wall or a sound of the tree, crashing to the floor at 2:00 a.m.? And, yes, it would be at 2:00 a.m.; it always is!

With the holidays fast approaching, I welcome any suggestions you have for holiday safety.

Book Review Coming: The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

A colleague at work lent me this book. She said it is great. It is told from the dog’s point of view. The back cover is filled with accolades from notable writers and reviewers.

My reading list is getting longer and longer! Better get started….

Rescue Mommy

Training Never Ends

As I have mentioned on several occasions, Gracie has a few issues (don’t we all??). She hates riding in the car, and I have detailed several things I have tried to conquer her fear. She also has a problem with her food bowl.

With my previous dogs, I worked with them from puppyhood to eliminate any food aggression. It worked so well that anyone, even small children, could place their hands in the dogs’ bowls without fear of being bitten. However, when you adopt an older rescue dog, you do not get that opportunity. Do not let that deter you from adopting an older dog, though. Just know that you will have a little more work ahead of you.

During Gracie’s second meal of the day, I have experimented with different training techniques. Lately, I have been holding the bowl, letting her take a bite, and then pulling the bowl away. At first, she would hurriedly inhale as much food as she could before I removed the bowl. Gradually, she is beginning to relax and not eat so rapidly. She still tries to grab the last few bites as quickly as possible. It will just take time.

A trainer I visited also suggested placing your hand in the bowl along with a Vienna sausage or other highly desirable treat. When I did this, Gracie inhaled the treat – and proceeded to gobble the rest of her food, lest “the hand” steal it.

As I have said many times, training involves trying lots of different techniques until you find something that works for your buddy. Please share any tips you have for handling food aggression. I could use the advice!

Rescue Mommy

Product Review: Tuffy Dog Toys

Available at PetSmart and independent pet stores



Check out the company’s website, mydogtoy.com

I found these toys over two years ago when I was looking for a toy I could leave with Dino. He would shred traditional stuffed toys, so I did not feel comfortable leaving him alone with that type. I bought him a big red lizard by Tuffy. He did not like it. He preferred soft stuffed toys.

Gracie, on the other hand, loves this line of dog toys. The toys are a bit firmer than a stuffed toy. The tag on the toys states the toys are built with three layers of material and five rows of stitching. Gracie still plays with the red lizard and several other Tuffy toys I bought. Her favorite is a red ring (see picture) that can be used for tugging or tossing.

The toys even survived the puppy who visited us recently. The edge of the toys was only slightly frayed in spots after a week of gnawing. On a long-term basis, they might not survive as long as they will with an adult dog. (Of course, no dog toy lasts forever.)

The company makes various styles. They have a “tuff-scale” for each toy. The scale indicates how durable the toy will be based upon your dog’s chewing habits. You can then select an appropriate toy from their line.

The toys are a little more expensive than other toys. The toys have been very durable for me, though, so they are worth the extra expense.

Rescue Mommy

Still Looking

On Saturday, we visited the no-kill shelter operated by a local rescue group. We did not take Gracie with us because we wanted to get a feel for the contender before he or she met Gracie.

We are always amazed to see how many wonderful dogs of all ages, sizes, and breeds are available. We saw lots of dogs who, under different circumstances, would have been loaded into our car straight away. However, Gracie’s wants and needs must be considered.

Unfortunately, we did not find any contenders on this visit. We have spoken with the director of the rescue group and told her our preferences. At first, we were a bit worried that she might think we were too picky. She said she preferred that we were thoughtful about our decision. It is a long-term commitment.

As always, we will keep you posted on our progress. We hope our journey helps you too.

Rescue Mommy and Daddy

Puppy Update

We have continued to be in contact with Jack the Jack Russell terrier’s foster Mommy. As you may remember, Jack was the puppy who stayed with us recently. It did not work out with Gracie. We knew he would make a great dog for someone, though.

He is with a family who has an eleven-acre farm and other dogs. So far, things are going great. We are keeping our fingers crossed. We will let you know when the little fellow has been adopted.

Rescue Mommy and Daddy