so what about dog sharing?

Do you share well with others? Books? Food? Your dog? When I heard about dog sharing on the news several months ago, I was surprised and had mixed feelings about it. I didn't completely understand why a person would want to share their dog, so I checked it out.

Web sites such as City Dog Share of California are popping up for reasons of convenience, economics, and philanthropy. So what's this all about? At it's foundation, it is a pet sitting co-op. Owners seeking someone to watch their dog are paired with strangers who are looking to spend time with a dog. It's touted as a great way for people to test out a breed before taking the plunge. City Dog Share says:

People with or without dogs are encouraged to join. If you are looking to foster or adopt a dog, but still not sure which type of dog is right for you, maybe meeting up with someone and sharing their dog can help. They will help guide you with all the tips and tricks that are best for their dog. And maybe that can help you find a dog that's right for you.

Post a picture of your dog when you have a dog that needs to be watched. Include relevant details like the dates away, care needed, etc. Members can comment on the thread or send you a private message in response–it's that easy!

For many reasons, this seems like an awesome idea. In these troubled economic times, I'm all for helping each other out. In fact, I would have six inch gray roots, if it wasn't for the fact that I trade services with my hair dresser. She colors and cuts my hair, then I credit her pet sitting account with the value of the service. It works out great for both of us.

To think that strangers with complimentary objectives could be paired in the name of animal welfare is a pretty cool idea, however, I would be nervous about leaving my dog in the care of a stranger with no professional experience. It's not like trading landscaping services for housekeeping...this is a deeply loved member of the family! But, still...I love the concept and hope it can work. One person receives the dog care they need for free and the other gets to learn–before adopting or purchasing–what breed of dog might or might not work for them. How wonderful.

The City Dog Share Web site also includes sponsored services such as nonprofit foster and adoption organizations and professional services and currently have open groups in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles area, Humboldt County, Greater Portland, and Seattle Metro. They also facilitate adoptions and local canine social groups.

Under what circumstances would you be willing to share your dog?

Finding Rover: the new app that changes the game for lost dogs

Facial recognition software has played a key role in solving some of the most publicized and critical criminal cases, including the Boston Marathon bombing case that shocked us so recently. Last Tuesday, this technology was released to dog lovers the world over in the form of a free mobile app, Finding Rover. According to a press release out of San Francisco,

More than 10 million pets go missing each year, according to the Humane Society of the United States. Finding Rover's state-of-the-art facial recognition technology helps reunite more dogs with their owners by enabling anyone to instantly identify a missing dog on the spot by taking a photo on a mobile device.

I spoke to CEO and founder of Finding Rover, John Polimeno, about Finding Rover and the adventure that was its creation. If I could use one word to describe Polimeno, it would be "infectious." His desire to save every dog is childlike, yet with the use of the most advanced technology available–newly developed just for his vision–will likely come close to getting the job done. "It was a dream I committed myself to," he beamed. And now it's happening.

WM: I can't even tell you how excited I am about this app. As soon as I heard about it, it was downloaded on my iPhone, and I created a profile for my dog. It is amazing, and is really going to change things for lost pets and their families.

Polimeno: I'm really excited too! The app was released on Tuesday at 5 p.m., and we had over 2000 downloads within 24 hours.

WM: That's fantastic. How did you get the idea for Finding Rover?

Polimeno: Well, my wife, Kristie, and I were sitting at a coffee shop.

(I couldn't help but think, "of course...isn't that how all genius ideas begin?")

Polimeno: We saw a lost dog poster, and we remembered the trauma of losing our own dog. How we drove the kids around and how awful it was. A dog is a beloved family member, and if it goes missing, it can be devastating to everyone involved. We thought that there has to be a better way.

WM: Had you ever created an app before?

Polimeno: (chuckling) No. I was in the construction business, and I was going to retire.

WM: So how did you develop Finding Rover? How long did it take?

Polimeno: It took three years to develop. I started by taking the idea to five different facial recognition technology companies around the world. They all said 'no, we do people.' So then I took it to universities. At last, University of Utah's Software Development Center said 'we do people. It would be really hard to do. But we'll give it a try, if you'll fund the research.' So I funded a year of research. The technology is based on facial recognition software, but was created to work specifically for dogs, and specifically for this app. You can put 100 German Shepherds in the group, and yours will pop up. The software is very complicated.

WM: Wow. To me, dog faces are much harder to distinguish between than human faces.

Polimeno: The software doesn't know it's a dog.

WM: When I downloaded the app, I noticed registration on Finding Rover is incredibly simple.

Polimeno: It's not intrusive. We wanted people to be able to register their dogs and not have to enter in a bunch of personal information. Only when you lose your dog are you asked for your phone number, just so people can contact you. The app is clean, and we want to keep it that way.

WM: This must have been an expensive venture, but the app is free. Will you eventually charge for it so you can recoup your costs?

Polimeno: No. Never. The app will always be free. I haven't figured out how to recoup costs, and I'm not even thinking about that right now. I just want to help people find their dogs. Maybe there will be sponsorships or something in the future, but right now, the goal is to get 50 million dogs registered. It was just released Tuesday, and people are already finding their dogs. That's so cool.

WM: That is cool.

Polimeno: I want anyone in the world to be able to use it, so it will always be free. Currently, the app is available on iPhone, but there are plans to release an app for Android this year. People who aren't smart-phone savvy will be able to register on the Web site. It's all about your dog, and it's about bringing people together to help each other.

WM: What if I haven't downloaded Finding Rover, yet, and my dog is lost. Is there anything I can do?

Polimeno: Yes, you can upload a photo that exists in your photo library. Even if the photo isn't suitable for facial recognition, you can still post any picture of your lost dog for others to view.

He went on to explain that even if you don't have a dog, you should still have the app. People often hesitate to pick up dogs because they think they might get stuck with them. If you can find the owner on Finding Rover, it makes it convenient to do a good deed. And it goes beyond the individual. Shelters and vets can also use Finding Rover to quickly reunite owners with their lost pets.

WM: So, would you recommend Finding Rover over microchipping?

Polimeno: No, no. Pet owners should do everything they can. Finding Rover is free, and there is a cost with microchipping. That might make a difference to some people. Our goal is to rescue every lost dog.

WM: This is awesome. You have such a fantastic energy.

Polimeno: Well, it's positive! It's all about dogs and helping people.

It is positive. And we need positive in this world right now.

Polimeno is genuine. He is so excited to help people find their dogs, he can hardly contain himself.

Finding Rover also has some fun features. You can create and/or join a "pack," a group of dog owners who have something in common. If the shelter from which you adopted your dog has a pack, you can connect with other pet owners who have adopted a dog from the same shelter. Or perhaps your neighborhood or office could have a pack. The app also offers a "tips & tricks" tab, where you can ask and answer canine-related questions. There's even a place to just post cute photos of your dog. Social media for dog owners. What more do we need? Polimeno explained,

people are turning to niche social media platforms, such as Finding Rover, as a way to communicate with people with similar interests. Finding Rover is for anyone who cares about dogs and wants to make sure they find their way back home, regardless of if they own a dog or not. Our goal is to be an essential part of dog lovers' day-to-day routine that they can rely on in the event of a missing dog.

My experience with the app has been great. It is easy to register your dog, and Finding Rover even takes the difficulty out of getting that perfect face-front shot. You just align your dog's eyes with a line on the screen, and if you can't get your dog to look, just hit the "bark" button, equipped with two sounds sure to get your dog's attention. Snap! It's that easy.

I believe that Finding Rover will change the face of the lost-dog problem. And with John Polimeno at the helm, it can't lose. Download Finding Rover now, and join the community. Share this exciting news with your friends so there are no more lost dogs.

doggie dna analysis: Ava's story

I've been taking care of Ava almost every weekday for the past two years. Her family adopted her from a local poodle rescue. Huh? Does this look like a poodle?

Since Ava's ancestry was a complete mystery, her family decided to have a DNA analysis done. Their veterinarian offered the convenience of doing the blood draw for the test during her regular appointment and sent it to Wisdom Panel for analysis. Though there are less expensive options, Ava's mom, Maura, liked the convenience of doing it right there at the vet. She paid $125.00. Maura explained that there are at-home testing options that use saliva that some people may prefer.

Though DNA testing is not medically necessary, it sure is fun! Ava's family was simply curious of their rescue dog's origins so they decided to proceed with the analysis.

Wisdom Panel's report was nine pages of detailed information about Ava, including "Breed Detection," "Breed Appearance & Behavior," "Appearance, Behavior & History," and "Sharing Your Dog's Story."

Ava's mix was declared to be an "American Eskimo Dog Mix crossed with Yorkshire Terrier/Chihuahua cross." Huh? The only thing I see in her is possible Chihuahua. Good thing the report goes into detail.

The next page went on to detail what "Mixed Breed" means for Ava:

And there we see the poodle in her! It makes me think that maybe I might have a bit of poodle in me, too! It's pretty cool to be able to see in such detail what Ava's background is.

I asked Maura what she thought of the results. She said, "I was surprised that her great grandparents and grandparents could be American Eskimo Dogs. I was not surprised to see Terrier, Chihuahua, or Dachshund in her history."

I would have to agree with Maura. I was pretty shocked to see the American Eskimo Dog make an appearance.

Ava's report went on to explain the Chihuahua, Yorkshire Terrier, and American Eskimo Dog breeds in detail and suggested possible traits of these breeds that her family might see in her.

So how does this all work? Wisdom Panel said,

The process started when you sent a sample to our laboratory, where the DNA was extracted from the cells and examined for the 321 markers that are used in the test. The results for these markers were sent to a computer that evaluated them using a program designed to consider all of the pedigree trees that are possible in the last three generations. The trees considered include a simple pedigree with a single breed (a likely pure-bred dog), two different breeds at the parental level (a first-generation cross), all the way up to a complex tree with eight different great-grandparent breeds allowed.

Our computer used information for over 225 breeds, varieties, and types from our breed database to fill these potential pedigrees. For each of the millions of combinations of ancestry trees built and considered, the computer gave each a score representing how well that selected combination of breeds matched to your dog's data. The pedigree with the overall best score is the one that is shown on the ancestry chart. Only breeds that reached our set confidence threshold for reporting are reported in the ancestry chart.

Maura was really happy that she satisfied her curiosity in having the DNA analysis done. Some may argue "I love my dog. Who cares what she is?" Well, of course we love our dogs no matter what, but knowing what is in their background may give us the opportunity to better care for our pets. And despite even that, it sure is fun!

Report provided by Ava's family.

the big, bad world: enter, ThunderShirt, part 3 (making it through the 4th)

Fireworks. Spectacular celebratory tools of our nation's independence, or an annual source of terror? Fireworks can be so stressful for some dogs that their owners are house-bound during one of the best get-out-and-enjoy-summer events of the year, the 4th of July. And the fireworks don't even have to be nearby. Some dogs completely freak out over fireworks miles and miles away that we humans can't even hear. Remember that their hearing is more sensitive than ours.

I've posted first-hand accounts about the success the ThunderShirt had for Jack and Rex. Rex donned his ThunderShirt on the 4th of July last year and slept through a massive fireworks show less than a mile from his home. Jack will try his for the first time this year, but I believe his owner is so thrilled with the results they've achieved so far, that she might just dress Jack in his 4th of July party suit and head out for a night on the delta (so we may have to ask the neighbors how he did).

The ThunderShirt calms pet fears by "hugging." It seems silly and too simple, but it works. Why can't you just hug your pet and save yourself some money? Because you are anxious when your pet is anxious, and your own anxiety is transferred to your pet. So you'd just be compounding the problem.

Check out this compilation of before & after results...amazing!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7lilXT8Img]

Again and again, the steady pressure of the ThunderShirt seems to work for so many. What a wonderful natural alternative to "doggie downers," which so many pet owners have had to resort to. Considering that the shirt comes with a 100% money-back guarantee, it seems silly not to give it a try this 4th of July.

You can order ThunderShirt online, or you can purchase it in most pet stores in time for the fireworks.

I started my inquiry about the ThunderShirt because I'd simply heard so many positive things about it, and I wanted to see for myself. The more I experience the Thundershirt, the better I feel about it. Have you used ThunderShirt? I'd love to hear about it!

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

Take Your Dog To Work Day 2013

I'm lucky in that even before I opened Well Minded and became a full-time professional pet sitter, I was able to bring my dog to work. As I worked away as an account manager at JDA, Inc., my faithful companion, Kermit laid by my side, or, more often, plopped down for a belly rub in front of anyone who came within 100 yards of my desk. My bosses in the office downstairs would bring their dog, Lucy, so we had a downstairs office dog and an upstairs office dog, and sometimes we'd join the two together for a romp. I'm a bit biased, but I think everyone benefited from having the dogs there. They gave us good laughs during tense times, and were always good for a snuggle. Or ready to accept a belly rub. Tomorrow, Friday, June 21, 2013, is the 15th Annual Take Your Dog to Work Day, created by Pet Sitters International. PSI says:

First celebrated in 1999, Pet Sitters International's Take Your Dog To Work Day (TYDTWDay®) was created to celebrate the great companions dogs make and to encourage their adoption from humane societies, animal shelters, and breed rescue clubs. This annual event asks pet lovers to celebrate the human-canine bond and promote pet adoption by encouraging their employers to support TYDTWDay. Employers are encouraged to open their workplace to employees' four-legged friends on this one special day.

In case you are more musically-inclined, check out the TYDTWDay song!

Will you be taking your dog to work tomorrow?