Raising Your Paws- Your resource for dog & cat pet parents

Are you having problems with your cat, not using the litter box, but instead peeing in places you’d never

expect? In this episode I’ll talk about when cats choose house plants as their litter box, offer an

explanation for why this might happen and tell you what to do about it. Next time, we’ll cover when cats

begin peeing in your bed.

You may have heard of therapy dogs who visit patients in hospitals and clinics. Today, you’re going to

hear about a special group of golden retrievers, who bring comfort to those suffering the aftermaths of

mass shootings and other disasters. You’ll hear how, Lutheran Church Charities K-9 Ministry’s comfort

dogs, along with their handlers, travel all over the United States–being deployed in times of crisis to

bring comfort to all those affected. My guests today are Tim Hetzner, the president and CEO of the

organization who started the K-9 ministry and Richard Martin, the director of the K-9 deployments.

Does your dog attempt to eat parts of dead animals it finds outdoors or even grab mouthfuls of dirt at

times? When dogs eat what we consider to be disgusting, no doubt you probably pull your dog away,

thinking it’s not only gross, but will cause your dog to get deathly ill from consuming such a germ

infested thing. In reality, your dog’s body is equipped to handle consuming a lot of bacteria and germy

things much more than you are. I’ll explain how.

 

Additional Resources for the show.

Lutheran Church Charities (LCC) Website.

www.LutheranChurchCharities.org

LCC’s K-9 Comfort Dogs website:

www.K9Comfort.org

LCC’s Kare-9 Military Comfort Dogs website:

www.Kare9.org

LCC’s K-9 Police Comfort Dogs.

www.K9Blue.org

Lutheran Church Charities and the K-9 Comfort Dogs on Facebook:

LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs

Lutheran Church Charities:@LutheranChurchCharities

Find the K-9 Comfort Dogs on Instagram:

 

Comfort Dogs: @comfortdogs

Lutheran Church Charities: @lccharities

Find the K-9 Comfort Dogs on Twitter:

Comfort Dogs: @K9ComfortDogs

Lutheran Church Charities: @LCCharities

 

Source for the story about dog’s ability to eat carrion – “See Spot Live Longer” by Steve Brown and Beth

Taylor.

 

Tell us the pet problems you’d like solved and participate in a free children’s book promotion!

You can receive a free copy of the children’s book, “Adventures with Tuffy” Written by Sue Sailer and

Illustrated by Troy Becker. This book was the idea of Charlie Nelson, the CEO and president of the family

owned company, NutriSource Pet Foods. Tuffy was the name of his grandfather and is also the name of

the family’s pet food plant.

To participate, please write me at [email protected], with your detailed comments about the

Raising Your Paws podcast. We would like to know what some of the problems you are having raising

your pets that you’d like to hear addressed on the show. I’ll select 10 of the first people to write and

send them a free book. Good Luck. The book is also sold in many of the stores where you find

NutriSource pet food.

In this, “Best of Podcast” pillar episode replay show, we’ll first start with what you should do if you think your pet may have been poisoned… besides panic.  I’ll tell you a story about when I accidently fed a toxic drug to my dog and a phone number you’ll want to call right away if you suspect poisoning.

Next, do you wonder if you need to have pet health insurance for your cat or dog? Dr. Doug Kenney, DVM, author of the book, Pet Health Insurance, A Veterinarians Perspective, poses two simple questions to ask yourself in order to decide and then explains how to select a good company that meets your needs. You’ll hear about an online resource, his pet insurance tool kit, which helps you work through this step-by step.

Then, your dog may be communicating with you and other dogs, through doing this particular behavior. Find out what it is and increase your skills in reading your dog’s body language.

And, finally, why pouring your dry pet food from the bag it came in, into another can or bucket is not the best way to store the food.

 

Additional Resources for this show:

 

ASPCA Poison Control Hotline Phone number – 888-426-4435.

Amazon link for ordering the book, Pet Health Insurance, A Veterinarians Perspective.

Dr. Kenney’s Website.

Pet Health Insurance Tool Kit.

Dr. Kenny’s Podcast

Please see our blogs and leave your comments at www.raisingyourpaws.com.

How can search and rescue and police dogs sniff out and follow people that are long gone from sight? It is because, we humans smell A LOT to dogs and this makes it easy for them to track people. In this episode, I’ll explain exactly why and how you are constantly producing odors that dogs can detect and allow them to identify YOUR particular scent from all others.

Next, the story you’ll hear today, from my guest, Craig Grossi, a marine, who was stationed in, Afghanistan is about a stray dog who was scrounging out his living in the desert sands, and captured the marine’s heart and commitment. The story of Craig and his dog Fred, is one of the more unique and gratifying rescue stories I’ve ever heard. You’ll be able to read the entire story about how Craig brought Fred back from war torn Afghanistan to the United States, in Craig’s book, Craig and Fred: A Marine, A stray dog, and how they rescued each other. Then, it’s time for another “Where did that expression come from? There are two stories that offer an explanation for where “let the cat out of the bag” came from.

Additional Resources for the Show

Listen to Stories about Search and Rescue Dogs finding missing people. (Episode 31)

Listen to Stories about K-9 Police dogs tracking criminals. (Episode 41)

Amazon link to the source for the story of how smelly we are to canines: Being a Dog: Following the Dog into a World of Smell by Alexandra Horowitz.

Craig and Fred’s website and social media:

Website: fredtheafgan.com

Fred the Afghan on Facebook:

Fred the Afghan on Instagram:

Craig Grossi’s YouTube channel.

Amazon link for how to order the book, Craig and Fred, A Marine, a Stray Dog, And How They Rescued Each Other.

 

Young reader’s edition of the Craig and Fred book.

If you are thinking of finally getting that puppy or kitty for your kids, relative or special someone and presenting it as a holiday gift, you’ll want to consider these things first to ensure the pet will be a long lasting success in the home.

There are certain foods we like to eat around the holidays, that our pets would also like to partake in, but many of them can cause health problems for the dog and cat. In this episode I’ll list which ones can be hazardous and explain the reasons why.

Additional Resources for the Show.

1. NutriSource Pet Food’s full time hospital therapy dog has arrived at Masonic Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota!  See the press release and photos of Rocket, the Golden Retriever at www.raisingyourpaws.com.

2. Resource’s for finding a pet that will be a good match.

a. From Dogtime.com there are two good tools:

This one determines which types of breeds and mixes may be a good fit for you and your family. https://dogtime.com/matchup

Here are detailed profiles of the major dog breeds so you can learn about their different characteristics. https://dogtime.com/quiz/dog-breed-selector

b. ASCPA Meet A Match™ Program. https://www.aspcameetyourmatch.org/about

This one helps you to figure out which personality types of dogs and cats would match well with you.  It is designed for matching you with dogs or cats that you would adopt from an animal shelter.

For the more detailed explanation about these resources and topic, see the original blog article “Finding the Pet that will be a Good Match for You” at the Raising Your Paws website.

3. If your pet eats the wrong foods and you suspect health problems, call ASPCA Poison Control Hotline phone number – 888-426-4435.

 

Have your credit card handy: After reception asks what the health issue is with your pet and relays this to a Vet, they will ask for your card number as there is a charge for the service.  It is worth it.

I promised you that I’d tell you why I knew my cat Willie would protect my apartment and get physical with any intruder that dared to enter the house. Here is the story of why Willie’s nickname was “Killer Cat.”

Next, did you know that your dog can recognize your different facial expressions and that someday you may be hearing what your pets actually say, though using artificial intelligence?  My guest today, is Richard Louv, a nature journalist and author of the book, “Our Wild Calling: How connecting with animals can transform our lives – and Save theirs.” Along with other new, startling, scientific discoveries about our relationship with our pets and other wild animals, he makes the point through many fun and fascinating stories, that the connection we have with non-human creatures affects our well-being and mental health in deeper ways than we may be aware.

Then, do you wonder why your dog turns in circles while digging at the carpet or its doggy bed before lying down to sleep?  Find out the answer in this show.

Additional Resources for the Show.

Richard Louv’s website.

Order “Our Wild Calling: How Connecting with animals can transform our lives – and save theirs.” By Richard Louv.

Source for story about dogs turning in circles: “The Secret Lives of Dogs” by Jana Murphy and the Editors of Pets, Part of the Family.

Fictional excerpt from book ”Walking in Circles before Lying Down,” by Merrill Markoe.

Does your dog leave puddles of drool on the floor in anticipation of eating when you open the container of its food? Or perhaps you have one of those large dog who slobbers constantly. Why do dogs drool? There are many reasons for this. Find out what they are in this episode.

You may be surprised to hear that some of the most common dog bites happen to family members from the family dog. Why is this? What are the circumstances that can lead to your dog biting you or someone in the family? And most importantly, what can be done to prevent this? I’m continuing my conversation with Melissa Berryman, a dog bite prevention expert and author of the book, “People Training for Good Dogs: What Breeders don’t tell you and what trainers don’t teach.” We’ll cover those topics today.

Does your cat sometimes act like they are hearing things? Maybe you figure they’ve gone kind of nuts – because you don’t hear a thing. Actually they are – hearing what you are not! In this episode I’ll explain just how much better your cat’s hearing is compared to yours.

Additional Resources for the show

Source for the story about dog’s drooling – The Secret Lives of Dogs by Jana Murphy and the Editors of Pets - part of the family.

Melissa Berryman’s People Training for Good Dogs website.

Amazon link to Order “People Training for Good Dogs.”

Source for the story about cats hearing – What Your Cat Knows by Sally Morgan.

Does your cat bring you dead mice it kills or various rodent body parts? I’ll explain the current theory for why cats do this and the best way to react. It’s probably not what you think.

Then, if you are like many other dog owners, you don’t like to think that your dog could ever bite someone. The reality is that any dog – no matter the breed, can bite and injure someone. My guest, Melissa Berryman, is a dog bite prevention expert, creator of the People Training for Good Dogs dog handling program, and author of the book by the same title. In today’s episode, she talks about how we can take more responsibility for preventing dog bite injuries by better understanding our dog’s point of view and needs and expectations of us, and shares some of the innocent human actions that cause some of the most common bites.

Plus, in the special feature, “Where Did That Expression Come From?” we’ll take on the phrase, “barking up the wrong tree” and then how one of America’s most popular foods, a sandwich eaten by the billions each year, got its name.

Congratulations to Ann from Woodburn, Oregon for winning a free large bag of NutriSource dog food. She did so, by being randomly selected from those that sent in a question about their pets that they wanted covered in the podcast. Her question, that we answered, was about why cats leave “gifts” of dead mice for her family.  You can be selected as well and receive a free bag of pet food. Write me at [email protected].

Additional Resources for the show.

Source for story about why cats leave dead mice and how to react. Why Does My Cat Do That? By Catherine Davidson.

Melissa Berryman’s “People Training for Good Dogs” Program Website.

Amazon link to order the book “People Training for Good Dogs: what breeders don’t tell you and trainers don’t teach.” By Melissa Berryman.

 

Source for Stories about where hot dogs got their name. National Hot Dog and Sausage Council Website (http://www.hot-dog.org/culture/hot-dog-history)

Do you have both dogs and cats at home?  Does your dog eat your cat’s poop? Seems that many dogs find those little turds, a tempting treat.  I’ll talk about the habit of eating feces, called coprophagia and how to keep your dog out of the cat’s litter box.

Have you wondered if there is anything you can do to prevent your dog from barking and going ballistic every time the mail carrier shows up at the house? Hear what Katie K-9, a long time dog trainer who I’ve had on the show a number of times before, has to say about how to change your dog’s behavior without using punishment or a shock collar.

You may know that there are numerous ways in which a dog positively affects your physical health, but there is a brand new worldwide study that was just released, (Oct. 2019) in the American Heart Association journal, “Circulation,” that finds that having a dog actually causes pet owners to live longer. I’ll explain all the exciting and comforting details.

Win a free large bag of NutriSource pet food and help us out – by offering your feedback about the podcast. Write me at either [email protected] or leave a comment in the section at the end of the blog article for episode 52 at our website, www.raisingyourpaws.com. We’ll randomly select three people to win a bag of dog food and three to win a bag of cat food.

Additional Resources for the show.

Source for story about dogs eating cat poop. “ComPETability: Solving Behavior Problems in your CAT-DOG Household” by Amy Shojai.

Katie K-9 Website – to hear radio show and podcast.

Source for story about dog owners living longer.

Does your dog annoy you when it begs for one more treat, or pushes your hand so that you continue petting its back, or bark at you to throw the ball just once more? In this episode, I’ll explain how to teach the cue, “enough” which means they are to stop doing whatever rather demanding behavior they are doing and leave you alone.

Then, meet the family behind NutriSource and why in addition to manufacturing pet food, the company is dedicated to helping children that are hospitalized or battling cancer.  My guest is Charlie Nelson, the third generation president of NutriSource Pet Foods, from Perham, Minnesota. Charlie tells stories about his background playing professional baseball and how they got involved with an organization that started from a promise between a father and a child with cancer. Then, hear about the Nelson family’s latest cause, placing a full-time therapy dog, who will be named after their grandfather who started the business, in a Children’s hospital.

Plus, have you begun a new relationship, spending a lot of time together at your place, or perhaps recently gotten married? All is going really well but does your cat acts like it hates your new partner?  Growling or acting aggressively? You may think it’s because your cat is jealous – your cat is upset - but it is not because of the time you’re spending with the new person. Your cat is feeling anxiety and fear. Find out the reasons why and what you can do to change your cat’s feelings about your partner so they stop hissing and start bonding with them.

Additional Resources for the Show.

Source for story about teaching your dog not to beg: “The other end of the leash” by Patricia B. McConnell, PH.D.

NutriSource Pet Foods Website.

 

Source for story about when cat hates partner: “Think Like a Cat” by Pam Johnson-Benne (https://www.amazon.com/Think-Like-Cat-Well-Adjusted-Cat-Not/dp/0143119796/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=think+like+a+cat&qid=1570475060&sr=8-1)t

(https://www.amazon.com/Think-Like-Cat-Well-Adjusted-Cat-Not/dp/0143119796/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=think+like+a+cat&qid=1570475060&sr=8-1)Pinky Swear Foundation

https://www.pinkyswear.org/ (https://www.pinkyswear.org/)

Have you noticed that when a few dogs are walking or playing together, if one pees or marks a spot outside, than the other dogs will come over and mark the same spot? Why do dogs do this? I’ll explain how this is serious business in the canine world.

Next, talking to dog trainer, Katie-K-9 about dog crates, find out the answers to what the best kind of crate to get is, wire or plastic, what you can do to help your dog enjoy their time in the crate, and how to know when it’s time for the dog to be left out of the crate at home alone.

If you live with multiple cats and have had one cat suddenly become aggressive with or bully another cat, there are two surprising causes you’ll want to know about. One type of aggression has to with the cat who had simply been sitting and looking out the window and the other may happen when one cat comes home from the vet. I’ll explain the reasons these things can provoke aggression and how to fix it.

Let us know what you think about the podcast or the blog articles. Please leave your comment at the end of the blog article for this episode, number 50 on our website and win a few free bags of our cat or dog treats. www.raisingyourpaws.com (http://www.raisingyourpaws.com/).

Additional Resources for the Show.

Amazon link to the source for the story about dog’s marking behavior. “Why Does My Dog Do That” by Sophie Collins. (https://www.amazon.com/Why-Does-Dog-That-Comprehensive-ebook/dp/B00LAEQKKY/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=why+dogs+do+that&qid=1569257325&s=gateway&sr=8-3)

Katie K-9’s Website. (http://www.ktk9.com/)

Listen to Katie K-9’s shows on demand. (https://www.mytalk1071.com/katie-k9-ondemand/)

Amazon link to the source for the story about reasons for aggression in cats. “Cat Wise” by Pam Johnson-Bennett (https://www.amazon.com/CatWise-Americas-Favorite-Behavior-Questions/dp/0143129562/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Cat+wise&qid=1569257381&s=gateway&sr=8-1)