PET TIP - It’s February which means that it is national Spay and Neuter your pet month. Dr. Mark Hanks of Kindred Spirits indicates that neutering male pets often eliminates male marking behavior and the development of testicular cancer, and reduces the risk of prostate disease. Additionally neutered males are less likely to roam and get into altercations with other males. Help end pet overpopulation and keep your pets healthy by spaying and neutering.

You can find more information on dogs and cats at our website, www.greenacreskennel.com  or at the Green Acres Kennel Shop FaceBook page.

In recognition of National Spay and Neuter Month, we talk with Dr. Mark Hanks about pet overpopulation, the health benefits of spaying and neutering, and the latest research on the best time to spay and neuter.     http://bit.ly/HjrFE0

PET TIP-It’s February which means that it is national Spay and Neuter your pet month. While pet overpopulation is one reason to spay and neuter all of your pets, there are also significant health benefits. According to Dr. Mark Hanks, of Kindred Spirits, the medical advantage of spaying your female pets is a reduction in breast cancer. Dogs that are never spayed have a 1 in 4 chance of developing breast tumors. If they are spayed before their first heat, the chance is less than 1 in 1000. Also, spaying eliminates heat cycles and the potential for uterine infection and significantly reduces the risk of ovarian cancer.

You can find more information on dogs and cats at our website, www.greenacreskennel.com  or at the Green Acres Kennel Shop FaceBook page.

Valentine’s Day is only a week away and I bet you’re still wondering what to get for your sweetie. Well here’s an idea to show them how much you care about others. Make a donation to the Eastern Area Agency on Aging’s Furry Friends Food Bank in their name. The Furry Friends Food Bank provides pet food to seniors with pets who are struggling to make ends meet and may have to choose between buying food for themselves or their pet. By helping them feed their pet we keep two companions together. Can you think of a better way to show true love?

You can find more information on dogs and cats at our website, www.greenacreskennel.com  or at the Green Acres Kennel Shop FaceBook page.

February is National Pet Dental Care Month and this is our reminder that according to the AVMA, periodontal disease is the most commonly diagnosed problem in dogs and cats. While this might mean our pet has stinky breath to us, to our pets it can result in infections that have been linked to diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease and other life threatening disorders as well as tooth loss. Make sure your pet has an annual exam by your veterinarian that also includes a thorough dental exam, and if needed have your veterinarian clean your pet’s teeth.

You can find more information on dogs and cats at our website, www.greenacreskennel.com  or at the Green Acres Kennel Shop FaceBook page.

Most of us realize that our dog needs a nail trim when our legs get scratched or our nylons ruined, but the reality is that dogs need their nails kept short to avoid possible pain and discomfort, infections and in severe cases problems with their paws and joints. A dog walking with overlong nails is much like us walking with a pebble in our shoes. A very easy check to determine if your dog’s nails are too long is to visually inspect each foot or simply listen as your dog crosses the kitchen floor. If you hear that Click, Click, Click that means your dog needs a nail trim. We can trim your dog's nails at Green Acres or we can show you how to do it yourself at home.

You can find more information on dogs and cats at our website, www.greenacreskennel.com  or at the Green Acres Kennel Shop FaceBook page.

It’s February which means that it is national Spay and Neuter your pet month. Why should you spay and neuter your pets? Quite simply it saves lives. A male and female cat and all of their subsequent litters can produce almost 67,000 offspring in six years. The same is true for dogs. No matter how hard animal shelters work there is simply not enough homes for all the pets that are born in this country. This forces the shelter to make hard decisions often resulting in euthanasia. Help save a life, make sure all of your pets are spayed or neutered. And if you want to go the extra mile, make a donation to your local shelters spay and neuter fund to help someone else do the right thing.

You can find more information on dogs and cats at our website, www.greenacreskennel.com  or at the Green Acres Kennel Shop FaceBook page.

Woof Meow Show – APDT National Train Your Dog Month Training Tips: Jumping Up, Sit & Down, Saturday, February 2nd-7:30AM & Sunday, February 3rd  -8:30PM on WVOM 103.9FM/WVQM 101.3FM. In support of APDT National Train Your Dog Month Kate and discuss a common problem behavior for most dogs – Jumping up and two behaviors that can give the dog something else to do instead of jumping: Sit and Down. We’ll also provide a link for handouts on all three behaviors so that you can teach them at home.  http://bit.ly/HjrFE0, http://www.greenacreskennel.com/dog-behavior-and-training/jumping, http://www.greenacreskennel.com/dog-behavior-and-training/sit.html http://www.greenacreskennel.com/dog-behavior-and-training/down.html

You do not need to be dominant or the alpha to have a well-mannered dog, In fact trying to control a dog through intimidation and coercion often backfires, making a dog fearful or depressed and sometimes aggressive.  The idea that dogs are like wolves and if left to their own devices will try to dominate us has been soundly refuted by science, yet this silly myth continues to be perpetuated by some. Remember the old adage 'You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar? Well it applies to dogs as well as humans. Kindness and rewards work far better than confrontation and punishment.

You can find more information on dogs and cats at our website, www.greenacreskennel.com  or at the Green Acres Kennel Shop FaceBook page.

We interview Prof. Montrie about his 2012 documentary which examines the history of dominance and the theory of pack hierarchy and the "alpha dog" in the dog training world. The film looks at how the dominance construct came to be and how there has been a resurgence in this approach by some celebrity "TV trainers", even though it is not supported by science and is considered outdated and ineffective by most professionals in the world of animal behavior and training.     http://bit.ly/HjrFE0  http://www.anchorholdfilms.com/