Monthly Newsletter
For The Love of Animals is an independently owned and family operated pet supply store.
August Newsletter
Welcome to our August newsletter. Now with summer in full swing, we tend to hear a lot more dogs barking. Before neighbours complain about dog barking, it's best to try and train your dog to bark for only good reasons. We've included tips on how to help your dog stop excessive barking. We also talk about our upcoming photo contest.
Special outdoor sale every Saturday during August
We'll be holding special outdoor sales every Saturday (held indoors if raining) 10am to 2pm during August, with many more items on sale inside. These sales are on top of our normal weekly specials. We'll be adding new items each Saturday, so be sure and come out and see what deals we have to offer.
Get your cameras ready!
We're very excited to announce our upcoming pet photo contest being held September 15 to October 15, 2010. Photos must be submitted between September 15 and October 15, 2010 when the contest closes. Limit 1 photo per pet. Photos must be original and no larger then 5x7 inches and can be either black & white or colour. You must be the owner of any photo submitted. No computer generated or wild life photos will be accepted.
There will be 1 winner in each of the following categories: dog, cat, small animals, other (which includes birds, reptiles and fish). To see full contest rules, please check our web site for further details.
Upcoming Adoption Day
If you're interested in adopting a guinea pig, then come join us on Saturday August 21, 2010 from 10am to 3pm for our adoption day at For The Love Of Animals with guest rescue, Guinea Pigs R Us. Rescue owner Sarah Levett-Fuller will be bringing in some baby guinea pigs that are up for adoption in her rescue. She can answer your questions about proper care and help in the adoption process. Hope to see you there!
Unwanted Barking
The best way to prevent excessive barking is to try and remove the potential sources causing the behaviour. You also want to make sure you aren't inadvertently encouraging the barking.
- Make sure your dog gets plenty of exercise so there isn't as much pent up energy to burn.
- Avoid leaving your dog alone for long periods of time if possible.
- Never comfort, pet, hug or feed your dog while it is barking for attention. This would be considered rewarding the behaviour.
- Shouting or yelling at your dog doesn't help. A simple firm "Enough" works best.
- Avoid punishments such as shock collars, these are painful and unkind.
- Try to get your dogs attention with a clap or whistle. Once quiet, redirect your dogs attention to something productive such as a toy or treat.
- Don't let your dog bark constantly while outside, regardless of the reason. Control the situation as much as possible by setting up similar situations to use as training. Practice in short, frequent sessions generally 5-10 minutes each.
- If your dog barks during play, quiet the type of play down. Get your dog into a relaxed mood and then start the play activity again. Always keep play under control. Be the leader in the activity and include training tasks in the play.
Regardless of why your dog barks, always use positive reinforcement. Let your dog know when you're happy with how they are behaving. As soon as your dog stops barking, immediately reward your dog with a treat and praise. Positive reinforcement is the best training technique. Just be careful not to praise unwanted behaviour by mistake. Patting or stroking a barking dog can give your dog the impression you like what it is doing and will continue.
For older dogs, knowing the reason for the barking is a big part of finding the solution. Toys, games, training, and interaction all go a long way to help a bored or lonely dog. A tired dog is generally a better behaved dog. They are usually in a better state of mind when they are active. Boredom and loneliness can lead to other undesired behaviours as well. Get a variety of toys like Kongs, safe chew toys, Nylabones, etc., that will stimulate your dog's mind and give it something to do. Obedience lessons, a walk or playing fetch will help.
Do not let your dog get away with barking for hours before you decide to tell it to stop. Always stop the bark as soon as it first starts. Teach your dog from day one what will and will not be allowed.
Subscribing to our newsletter
If our newsletter was forwarded to you, why not subscribe and never miss an issue. To subscribe to our monthly newsletter, send an email to info@loveofanimals.ca with "subscribe" in the subject. Be assured that your email address will never be given out or sold.
Submitting material for our newsletter
We'd like to include more cute animal pictures, your adoption stories and some witty animal tales. If you'd like to submit them for our use, send us an email to info@loveofanimals.ca. I can't promise to use them all, but we'll sure try.
Specials during the month of August
Each week we feature an item we think you'd be interested in. For the month of August, we have the following on sale:
August 3 - 7 (closed August 2nd) - All dog items - includes food & accessories 10% off
August 9 - 14 - All cat items - includes food & accessories (excludes cat scratchers) 10% off
August 16 - 21 - All bird items - includes food & accessories 10% off
August 23 - 28 - All small animal items - includes food, bedding & accessories 10% off
August 30 - September 4 - All cat scratchers 10% off
You can also check our web site for additional specials throughout the month: loveofanimals.ca
That wraps it up for this months newsletter. We hope to see you at the store soon!
Marilyn Murray ~ Owner