Have you Met This Celebrity Dog Trainer?

Suryia and Roscoe

Have you met Suryia, the celebrity dog trainer at the T.I.G.E.R.S. sanctuary in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina? Well, the story is making the rounds around the internet.  I have not been able to sniff out the truth, but as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words so I will let you be the judge of  the accuracy of this viral story.

Apparently Suryia was not doing well at the rescue center.  He had no purpose in life.  His prayers were answered when an old, emaciated hound dog wandered in.  The staff named the dog Roscoe.

Suryia was drawn to Roscoe from the moment he arrived and stayed with him night and day while Roscoe regained his health.  Now the two are inseparable and really ham it up for the photographers. They play in the water together and hang out in the tree house...and just hang out. 

Hamming it up for the camera

They each have a purpose now in living for each other.  Does your pet parent make sure you have a "job" so that you don't lay around behaving neurotically, chewing your nails or chasing your tail? Have them leave a comment on how you impact other lives.

Living in the moment,

Schatzi

Pet Companion to animal lover Amelia

Napping Makes Our Pet Parents Smarter

 Photo from FunnyUnderline

The importance of people napping to become smarter is quite the buzz now. My pet parent loves to nap when he comes home from work and then again before he goes to bed...well, okay, I am exaggerating a bit. He doesn't do it every night. 

People all over the world have known the value of napping but here in the United States if our pet parents are "caught napping" they could suffer severe repercussions on the job. Dr. Matthew Walker, a Berkeley psychologist, claims that it all happens in a part of the brain which temporarily stores "fact-based memories." When pet parents nap, they clear out the memories so that they have room to take in more.  I wonder if that is the same as clearing the cobwebs from your brain which is the way our grand pet parents talked about the process.


So how does this memory stuff relate to us as pets? A writer for PetPlace reports that our memory banks need periodic purging and reorganization during sleep too. After we attend 5 weeks of training classes, our pet parents observe that we act like we have not learned anything at all.  Actually, our lessons are just going from short-term memory to long-term memory.  I wonder if the process would happen sooner if we took naps halfway through class...but then we would miss all the fun.


Does your pet parent feel that naps make them smarter? Have them leave a comment.

Living in the moment,

Schatzi

Pet Companion to animal lover Amelia

The Secret to How a Yellow Lab Smiled Big at Westminster For a Fraction of the Campaign Cost

 Corey , handler Kathy Gertler and pet parent Ellen Moon

I featured Corey the Yellow Labrador in my last blog post. She and I have been playing together since she was a pup.  She is a diva like me and has a winning smile.  In fact, I am proud to announce that Corey made the cut in the ring at Westminster this year and was one of the top six bitches shown.  Way to go Corey!


Now, this is what my pet parent found out by reading Dr. Larry's blog about Westminster. Most of the cost of campaigning a dog on the professional dog show circuit goes towards advertising to let the judges know how popular you are and secondly, to pay  your handlers for caring for you on the road and showing your best points to the judge.


Corey's pet parent knows that nutrition also plays a huge role in the life force of Corey and how well she shows. However, instead of feeding Corey a big name-brand food, she chose to use a holistic pet food formulated by a veterinary nutritionist that she can consult frequently and personally.  She also has the food shipped directly to her rather than taking a chance on food that has been housed in warehouses for up to two years before it is on the shelf. Best of all, she is able to subsidize Corey's show career by referring other pet parents to these benefits. Even Corey's handler has earned money that she can now rely on for unexpected expenses or to set aside for retirement.


So now I have revealed the SECRET on how a dog can show exceptionally well at Westminster for a fraction of the hundreds of thousands of dollars spent by other pet parents in the sport. Pet parents who are dog lovers first can still be competitive at dog shows without spending huge amounts of money campaigning. 


Encourage your pet parent to add their thoughts on kibble and show sense.

Living in the moment,

Schatzi

Pet Companion to Animal Lover Amelia

This Yellow Labrador Will Shine at the Westminster Dog Show

My yellow Labrador friend is on her way to the Westminster Dog Show.  Wow.  That is like competing in the Olympics of Dog Conformation!  Her registered name is CH GoldenMoon's Sunny Coreopsis, WC, CGC but I just know her as "Corey."


Corey will be leading her handler Kathy Gertler (of Kindred Spirits Handling) around the ring.  Kathy says that she and Corey are a team.  Corey is tough but a dream at the same time.  Kathy understands her the best and lets her do her own thing while she just tries to steer her in the right direction.  Corey can't be made to do things she doesn't want to... she is a free spirit....like me.

Also, like me, Corey has been raised on the superb nutrition and formulas developed by Dr. Jane Bicks.  We believe that has given us an advantage in our development as champions.


You can watch Corey compete in Labradors on Tuesday, February 16th at about 3:30 P.M. on streaming live video from the Garden.


You know who I will be cheering for.  Does your pet parent have a favorite entry?

Living in the moment,

Schatzi

Pet Companion to animal lover Amelia

Business Savvy Veterinarians Use Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing sites such as Twitter and Facebook are now being implemented by business savvy veterinarians. Sheila Grosdidier is an on-site consultant for veterinary practices.  In a recent forum post on Vet Learn, she wrote about the trends in client service. 

My pet parent has seen veterinarians bend over backwards to please difficult clients.  She has also witnessed a veterinarian tell a client that if he did not like to pay the fees that she charged for her services, that he could take his business elsewhere.  Perhaps the second example may become the trend with the thinking that no matter what you do, you will not please the unhappy client so the valuable time should only be spent with "better" clients.


So what if that unhappy client gets on YouTube, Facebook or Twitter and shouts out about his experience? It may go viral.  On the other paw, veterinarians may want to encourage their clients to tweet about just how fantastic they think their vet is with their pets.


I wonder if my veterinarians have Facebook pages or YouTube channels. Perhaps I will find an email from them in my Inbox.  I am going to put my nose to the computer and do a search now...


How does your pet parent feel about veterinarians using social media as a way to gain the trust of their clients?

Living in the moment,

Schatzi

Pet Companion to animal lover Amelia

Toilet Training is for Cats

Should pet parents train their cats to use the toilet? Pet parents sure go through a lot of cat litter.  Different cats like different litters so that adds to the expense in a multiple-cat household. To find out more about toilet training as an option, my pet parent bought the E-book Toilet Train My Cat. She found out that some breeds of cats learn faster...sounds like the smartest dog survey.


This book also covers constructing toilet-training contraptions...pet parents will have to be trained to do this part. Toilet training goes against a cats instincts so pet parents will have to be patient.  Since female pet parents expect the lid to be put down all the time, this will go against their natural instincts too. Going through the list of breeds, it would seem that a Japanese Bobtail owned by a male pet parent who never remembers to put the seat down might be the most successful cat to learn to use the toilet!


Did you hear about the cat that ran up the water bill by constantly flushing the toilet.  I'll bet that pet parent regretted the day he taught his cat to flush!

Watch this funny cat video:
 
Pawscript:  I only recommend products that my pet parent has personally used. I may earn some treats if you purchase the product mentioned above. 

 
Living in the moment,

Schatzi

Pet Companion to animal lover Amelia