the big, bad world: enter, ThunderShirt, part 1 (Rex)

There's a lot to be afraid of in this world. I have heard amazing things about the ThunderShirt. Though I'm thankful my dog does not suffer from anxiety issues, I really wanted to find out what all the buzz is about. The product line has expanded since the company's inception, but their flagship product is the ThunderShirt for dogs, which, according to thundershirt.com,

uses gentle hugging to calm your dog or cat. With its patented design, ThunderShirt’s gentle, constant pressure has a dramatic calming effect for most dogs and cats if they are anxious, fearful or overexcited. Based on surveys completed by over two thousand customers, over 80% of dogs and cats show significant improvement in symptoms when using ThunderShirt. ThunderShirt is already helping hundreds of thousands of dogs and cats around the world and is recommended by thousands of veterinarians and trainers. How does ThunderShirt work? Experts believe that pressure has a calming effect on the nervous system, possibly by releasing a calming hormone like endorphins. Using pressure to relieve anxiety in people and animals has been a common practice for years.

Could it be true? I asked around, and one of my clients, Leah, was happy to sing ThunderShirt's praises. She rescued her pooch, Rex, from a year of neglect, where he had very little contact with people, and no contact with other animals. Since it was the first year of his life, she had to start over with him. "While he is very intelligent," she explained, "the world doesn't quite make sense to him." Leah helped Rex become happier and healthier, but there were still things that scared him and caused him stress. She sought the help of a behaviorist who taught Rex coping techniques that he used–and still uses–to his benefit. The techniques helped Rex work through the stress, but the stress, itself, was still there. Leah decided to try the ThunderShirt to minimize Rex's stress. She admits that she was skeptical, but was familiar with the use of pressure vests for people with autism, so she was willing to give it a try. She started by putting it on Rex for brief periods absent of stress, and by the second or third time she put it on him (calling it his "shirt" each time), he was comfortable with it. Soon after, a large monsoon–a major stressor for Rex–rolled through. Leah noticed Rex beginning to get anxious, so she asked him if he wanted to wear his "shirt." He gave her his "yes" response. Leah explained,

He calmed down long enough for me to slip the ThunderShirt onto him...it didn't seem to be helping. However, when I asked him if he wanted me to take off his 'shirt' and started to take it off, he gave me his 'no' response...After the storm had passed, he positioned himself as he had when I put the vest on him, clearly ready for it to be removed, so I asked him if he wanted me to take his 'shirt' off, and got a 'yes.'

As monsoon season goes here in the Phoenix area, she soon experienced a similar situation with Rex. She saw even more improvement when using the ThunderShirt.

The third monsoon of the season approached, and, this time, Rex recognized the benefit of the ThunderShirt, himself. He found his "shirt" and brought it to Leah, asking her for help. Leah reported that it didn't calm him 100%, but she saw definite improvement.

She started putting the ThunderShirt on Rex whenever there was a stress trigger. He really liked wearing his "shirt" at these times, as tightly as Leah could get it. She reported that if it wasn't tight enough, "he would stay put, waiting for me to fix it." Smart guy!

Then New Year's Eve rolled around. Leah recalled,

Fireworks are one of the things that stress him out, and between the various local fireworks (shows) and neighbors with fireworks, there were BOOMS galore. At first, I had forgotten to put his ThunderShirt on him, and he was very stressed. He was running laps of stress through the house, barking and generally agitated. Once I remembered...I asked him if he wanted his 'shirt' and got a 'yes!' So I grabbed his ThunderShirt and put it on him. He gave me a big kiss and laid down on the sofa next to me, and within a few minutes, he was enjoying a nice calm nap, as the fireworks continued.

Rex relaxing in his Thundershirt as New Year's Eve fireworks explode. (Client-submitted photo.)

Rex continues to have success with his Thundershirt. After hearing his story and others, I decided I wanted to see for myself. Stay tuned.

Smarty-pants cutie-pie Rex and his BFF, the Thundershirt. (Client-submitted photo.)

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary ThunderShirt in exchange for my honest opinion.

pats on the head feel good

Wow! My first (of many, let's hope) blog award! What a wonderful feeling to be noticed by a fellow blogger. A big thank you to We Live in a Flat for awarding my post, i believe in leashes: my story, recognized in Positive reinforcement doesn't just apply to dealing with dogs, with The Best Moment Award! I received this major award (I'm waiting for my leg lamp in the mail) because We Live in a Flat was inspired by my telling of a life-changing moment. I always love when something good comes of something bad. I accept this award and am flattered to be recognized.

 

The Best Moment Award

‘Awarding the people who live in the moment. The noble who write and capture the best in life.  The bold who reminded us what really mattered – savoring the experience of quality time. (Please check out MomentMatters.com).

RULES: Winners re-post this completely with their acceptance speech. This could be written or video recorded. Winners have the privilege of awarding the next awardee’s! The re-post should include a NEW set of people/blogs worthy of the award; and winners notify them the great news.’

 

I am happy to be able to pass the torch along and award other fellow bloggers with the same honor:

For truly showing what it means to live in the moment and capture the best in life in a canine way, I honor The Lonely Dogs, Take my paw and dream with me. The photos on this blog are beyond inspiring. It was difficult to choose just one post, so please take the time to explore this blog about her "twenty-three incredible rescue dogs that share their lives with me in Mexico."

For making me laugh enough to share again and again, Sara Bran's Notes from the Edge Of Motherhood, Reward Stickers for Adults: Gummy Little Redeemers. Just delightful, and so true! I wish The Best Moment Award came with a sticker.

And for writing a story I've heard, done, told, and felt a million times in and entirely new way, Hey Ma, I'm Home: Don't Break the Pet. Brilliant.

As my predecessor did for me, I would like to add that you are receiving this award simply because your posts and your blogs inspired me. The award is non-obligatory, and you do not have to post it on your blog or pass it on if you do not wish to do so.

It's amazing what a simple pat on the head will do for a person, though. Those pups have it figured out.

 

 

a shameful interview with Pascale Lemire

If you haven't heard of it, which is shameful in itself, dogshaming.com is a photo blog featuring real dogs doing real deeds. The owners hang signs around the dogs' necks explaining the scenario, snap a picture, and submit it. Totally simple, and completely genius. I set out to do a simple "check this out" post about Dog Shaming. I looked over the site's legal mumbo jumbo to make sure I wouldn't be sued if I said I liked it, which seems to be the current trend in society. All I had to do was get permission in writing to use any anything, so I sent a simple email stating that I'd love to "spread the word about your awesome site," expecting to receive a form letter back listing the endless things I wouldn't be allowed to do.

Instead, I got a personal response back from who I now know to be the site's creator, Vancouver-based Pascale Lemire. She didn't give me any rules, but, instead, invited me to inquire further with her personally, if I wished to do so. No restrictions. Every exchange with this creative, witty woman was delightful. Considering the notoriety she's received about her viral creation, I was, quite frankly, shocked and thrilled to be chatting with her. I told her I thought she'd have "people" to field my type of inquiries. Not so. But I'm predicting that might soon be the case, so I feel like I was pretty damn lucky to get in when I did.

After lamenting about our mutual troublesome experience with wiener dogs, we got down to it.

WM: How did you get the idea to start Dog Shaming?

PL: Dog Shaming started one night when my boyfriend, Mike, and I were in bed reading on our tablets when we heard chewing coming from under the bed. Mike (my now husband) reached out and pulled Beau (our rescue wiener dog) out from under the bed. We realized he'd been chewing on Mike's underwear. We burst out laughing and snapped a picture with a sign beside him, and I posted it to my personal tumblr blog. Within 24 hours, people had blogged and reblogged the picture over and over. So Mike urged me to start a Web site. The rest is history!

WM: What is it with rescue wiener dogs and underwear? Mine redesigned me some risqué underwear, that's for sure!

PL: I have no idea! They do seem to be the most troublesome breed I've found. That and pitbulls...the biggest troublemakers!

WM: So you do see trends with certain breeds. What is the most common submission you receive?

PL: I've gotten weary of the "I have no shame" and the "sorry, not sorry" types of submissions. I never get tired of the dogs, but sometimes the signs are lacking in creativity. The eating poop, socks, and underwear has been done to death.

WM: Since you've been doing this for several months, now, do the submissions still make you laugh?

PL: Every once in a while a REALLY good one comes around.

WM: Do you have any favorites you'd like to share?

PL: Hmmmm...I love the double trouble posts. Like these:

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WM: Hilarious! This is my go-to site when I need a laugh. It always delivers. Can you tell me about your pets? Do they ever appear on Dog Shaming?

PL: Of course! Beau and Dasha are my rescue wiener dogs. They're both black and tan, so people often mistake them for siblings. They often make appearances when I'm reaching out to our readers. Our logo is also Beau's face. Here's a recent post with their photograph:

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WM: Congratulations on your upcoming book release!

PL: We just released the book cover. The book comes out in September.

WM: What an exciting time for you! Please tell me about your book.

PL: The Dog Shaming book is set to come out in late September and will be a collection of never-before seen material! It will be a coffee table book that amalgamates all the best Dog Shaming submissions I've received over the past months.

WM: That is fantastic. When did you start the site?

PL: August 2012.

WM: When you started the site, what were your expecations?

PL: I really had no expectations. I thought it was a cute idea, and then people kept sending more and more submissions!

WM: What percentage make the cut?

PL: About 5-10% only.

WM: Wow. So how much time do you spend working on the site? Do you have another job?

PL: I spend about five hours a day working on submissions. It's my full-time gig.  I used to work as an administrative assistant for a credit union.

WM: You help with dog adoptions through the site. Can you tell me more about that?

PL: Adoptable Fridays is a weekly event where people can submit dogs they're fostering or from their shelters for adoption. Of course, the same rules apply: They need to have a sign and be funny. I have been able to match over forty readers with adoptable dogs over the span of this endeavor. It's really satisfying to know that my efforts pay off and I'm doing something to help the community out.

WM: Absolutely. Great job! What do you like to do when you're not busy shaming dogs?

PL: I love walking with my dogs and reading. I spend a decent amount of time on the internet, so Dog Shaming seemed like the perfect fit.

WM: Aside from a good belly laugh, what do you think your site brings to people? Why do you think it has gone viral?

PL: I think people can relate to Dog Shaming. People see things and behaviors that their dogs have done, and it makes them glad to know they're not alone. When I started this Web site, I thought I was the only one who had dogs that liked to lick my legs fresh out of the shower.

WM: I agree. The posts are so relatable! What is your vision for the future of Dog Shaming?

PL: I hope our loyal readers will keep making this site great. It's really a group effort to keep the site fresh and entertaining.

WM: Thank you so much for speaking with me.

PL: Absolutely! I'm always available.

Pascale's generosity of time and candid nature ensure that she'll be around for a long time to come. I'm betting that her being "always available" might be a more difficult feat to achieve.

a day at the Phoenix Pet Expo

The aroma of churros and dog poop guided us to the family fun at  the Phoenix Pet Expo at the University of Phoenix Stadium. The littles were impressed with the scale of the building and number of well-behaved pets before we even entered the gates. Once we did, we were corralled down a long winding ramp, since no dogs were allowed on the escalators, naturally. My dog, N.A.S.H.A., is a bit of a nut case, so I borrowed a better-behaved client's dog, instead. Image

Parking and admission were free. Sweet! Once inside, we were overwhelmed by the scale of the event. There were over 200 vendors and rescue groups in attendance.

Our borrowed pooch was a bit of a snob about the drooly community water bowls and wading pools, but it was nice that these things were provided. They even had several designated potty areas, complete with real grass, waste bags, and trash cans.

We made some new friends.

The littles had the opportunity to meet some exotic pets, too, including a boa constrictor, which they weren't shy at all about petting. When your mom is a pet sitter and you get to take care of all sorts of animals, you get pretty brave at a young age.

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The booths had a lot going on to attract us to their wares and causes. We learned about some new and amazing products that I'll share with you soon. Po, my six-year-old son, brought one dollar from his piggy bank and agonized about what to spend it on. He finally decided that he and his sister would donate it for a chance to spin the Pet Club wheel of fortune to win some treats for the pooches in their lives.

Porter won some Nylabone NutriDent dental chews, and Cam won some Natural Balance Tillman's Treats.

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The littles' favorite activity was the "For the Love of My Pet" booth, which had many free activities for them to participate in. The kids each created their own dog puppets with help from Owen Burgess, author of For the Love of My Pet.

We all enjoyed watching demonstrations in agility, flyball, and dock diving.

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There was just so much to do at the Phoenix Pet Expo! Though we resisted adopting a new family member, the event would have been a wonderful setting in which to do so, with so many animals in need of homes. If you are an animal lover or are looking for a free day of fun for your kids, I would highly recommend attending next year's Phoenix Pet Expo.  Just watching the pets in attendance stroll by was a treat in itself!

Blog the Change for Animals: Lost Our Home Pet Foundation

Phoenix is one of the cities hit hardest by the real estate and economic crisis. The many who have lost their homes here can't always bring their animals with them, wherever they are going. Pet owners may be unable to support their animals, financially, and are at risk of surrendering them or abandoning them. Lost Our Home Pet Foundation has come to the rescue. "Our mission is to be a resource for real estate professionals and other members of the community who discover an abandoned pet, and to provide options for pet owners faced with difficult economic circumstances while promoting the spaying and neutering of pets," stated Jodi Polanski, founder of Lost Our Home (LOH) Pet Foundation. The organization was founded in 2008 "as a grassroots response to the thousands of pets in need as a result of the economic downturn in general, and the Phoenix-area foreclosure crisis in particular." Thousands of dogs and cats have been abandoned in yards and homes, surrendered, or underfed. Lost Our Home is the only organization in the Valley of it's kind. Not only do they focus on the animals they rescue from foreclosed homes or after evictions, but on the owners and the human-animal bond, as well.

LOH's programs include:

Food Bank: In these difficult economic times, sometimes even providing food for your pet can seem impossible. LOH understands the trouble pet owners are going through and takes pet food donations to individuals in need of assistance.

Temp Foster Program: Foreclosure or a forced move can prevent people from keeping their pets. The LOH Temporary Foster Program provides care for pets whose owners need to stay somewhere temporarily so that they can be reunited.

Pet Friendly Rental Program: LOH's realtor-volunteers help pet owners find pet-friendly rentals so they can keep their pets when they need to move. 100% of the commission earned (usually $200-$300) is donated to cover pet deposit fees.

Rescue Assistance: If pets are in need of immediate assistance, LOH helps to place pets whose owners are in crises up for adoptions or consider them for other programs.

To keep these programs up and running, LOH relies on the help of incredible volunteers and and donations of money and supplies for their shelter or food bank. The foster volunteers are one of their most valuable resources. The more foster families the organization can rely upon, the more animals they can save.

I asked founder, Jodi Polanski, to tell me about one of her most memorable adoption success stories. Though she had many tales to draw from, one recent adoption, in particular, was very dear to her: Shea.

Shea is a gorgeous male cat who has been through a lot. He was found as a newborn cowering under an oleander bush in Phoenix. Jodi explained, "his eyes and body were infested with fleas, and he was extremely ill. He was so young that he had to be syringe-fed, and it was not certain that his eyes–or life–could be saved."

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Shea pulled through, but his chances of being adopted seemed slight. One of his eyes had to be removed, and he had limited vision in the other. "And he is black," said Jodi. "Black cats and dogs are often the last to be adopted and, if they are not adopted, they are often euthanized for space."

Shea beat the odds.

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Shea's strong will to survive and loving personality won over everyone around him, and, finally, won over Travis and Michelle, who adopted him two years after he was brought to Lost Our Home. "I dreamt about him after we visited the shelter," said Travis, "so we knew we had to adopt him."

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Shea is now happy and healthy, loving life in his new home with Travis and Michelle. But if not for the tireless volunteers, vets, and supporters of LOH, Shea may never have made it out of that oleander bush.

It's about compassion for animals, first and foremost, which is sometimes difficult and contested in such a time and place of economic crisis. When a family is struggling to feed themselves, and survival is the stress they hold every minute of every day, tough choices have to be made. Some families give up satellite TV. Some don't have electricity. Some are so desperate that they surrender or abandon their pets–their family members. Lost Our Home Pet Foundation has recognized a desperate need in our community and has taken action to help furry family members stay with their pack. And when that just isn't possible, they help the animals find new forever homes. The organization is an advocate and miraculous resource for so many animals and people.

LOH needs your help, and there are many ways do donate. Please consider helping. And if you're looking for a new addition to your family, consider pets who, through no fault of their own, are tragic victims of this crisis in our economy. Think about adopting a Lost Our Home pet.

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