February 22nd, 2011Fav Info Links .. All in one spot
Fostering Basics for Rescues and Shelters
(works for new adopters, too!):
February 17th, 2011Does your shelter share their ‘e-list?’
(”e” as in: euthanasia)
Ask.
Many public shelters avoid sharing the list of dogs that are next up for euthanasia for fear that it would be unpopular or cause too much drama or delay. In some shelters, volunteers are specifically instructed not to ask staff about the disappearance of favorite dogs or cats. We’ve never been big fans of the don’t-ask-don’t-tell policy, especially when the main motivation for helping shelter animals comes from the heart. As it turns out, the regularly published “e-list” list has been working to move a lot of dogs – pit bulls especially – out of one shelter’s kennels and into new lives.
February 16th, 2011Robin’s Rock
(this vury schpecial boy is available for adoption) Read the rest of this entry »
February 8th, 2011Training basics – From Pit Ed Class
A little video from the first day of Pit Ed Class. It’s amazing how much improvement a handler can make with just a few adjustments in how he holds the leash and the information he offers his dog through voice and body language. This beautiful dog is slightly leash reactive right now, but if her handler stays on track with this kind of relationship-building work, she’ll come around quickly to good leash manners and better focus around bigger distractions. She seems to love the attention she’s getting from this exercise, and we love watching the light bulb go on for both of them.
January 28th, 2011Pit Ed switches to Sundays
Like a flock of birds, we’re following the migration pattern (ie, the fire fighter schedule) of busy Pit Ed instructor Donyale, and are switching class dates…
January 23rd, 2011We owe PBS a thanks
Many thanks to William Brangham and the crew from the PBS Show ‘Need to Know’ for being real people and telling a real story about real dogs. It was a rainy soggy week, our dogs stamped all kinds of muddy paw prints on you and your subjects were admittedly skeptical about the angle of your story. But you were all-time pros, and your segment on the canine survivors of Vick’s abuses was brilliant. Thank you.
January 21st, 2011Pssst. Pit bulls on PBS – Friday Jan 21st.
We’re happy to announce a special feature on PBS that will introduce some of our favorite dogs to the television audience. The show is called ‘Need to Know’ and it’s airing Friday, January 21st. Read the rest of this entry »
January 11th, 2011Camps are back in 2011 – Owner support is key
We’re very pleased to report that our Pit Ed Camps will be back in full swing in 2011, thanks to a generous grant from PetSmart Charities. In addition to the usual hands-on work with dogs, this year’s camps will hold a very special focus: Attending shelter staffers will gain the skills to create owner support programs back home so their communities can embrace pit bulls and reduce the numbers of dogs being relinquished to overcrowded shelters. That will include learning to hold Pit Ed training classes as well as the outreach work (aka the ‘Shots Fairs’) we love so much.
January 10th, 2011Thank you Green Bay Packers!
Ginger knows a good victory when she sees one. She survived you-know-who and is living a gentle life in Monterey now with her person, Stacy Dubuc. We join them in celebrating the Packer’s big win today. Thank you boys!!
January 6th, 2011a worthy White House literacy project
There is a timely review of Gorant’s book ‘The Lost Dogs’ in SFGate today. Like just about every red-blooded, dog loving member of the media, writer Christie Keith is less than impressed with Vick’s big return, especially after having read the book. She doesn’t want vengeance though, she just wants people to know the nitty-gritty of MV’s actions before waving the ‘healed by jail and touchdowns’ flag. Simple enough. She writes:
Read the rest of this entry »