Guest Column: Get to Know Adopt a Pet.com

At Happy Dog Land, we are dedicated to helping animals in need. For instance, on our book tour, we will be partnering with companies to help raise money for local and national animal welfare organizations. (Stay tuned for more details!) and our soon to be ready website www.happydogland.com will highlight stories from our readers who have helped animals. Billy and Jill also volunteer at Chicago Animal Care and Control and other Chicago animal welfare organizations.

We are always meeting new people and organizations that help animals. Today we are talking to Jeff Howard of Adopt-A-Pet.com to learn more about the organization.

Q: What is Adopt-a-Pet.com?

A: Adopt-a-Pet.com is the world's largest non-profit adoption website. We are like an ad agency for shelters and shelter pets. Sadly, there are 4 million healthy and adoptable companion animals killed in shelters each year due to overcrowding. We do our best to relieve that problem and put pets from shelters in the homes of pet seekers all over the country.

Q: What can we find on your website?
A. Our website makes it easy for anyone with an internet connection to find profiles and pictures of adoptable animals by location, breed, gender, age, size, and color. Over 8,000 shelters posts pets on our website displaying over 125,000 pets available for adoption at any given time. We also help volunteers connect with shelters, and currently host thousands of people listed in our volunteer database for shelters.

Q: Do you work with any other animals in addition to dogs and cats?

A: Yes we do! In addition to dogs and cats, we now feature all kinds of pets for adoption, including rabbits, farm animals, ferrets, hamsters and other small animals, horses, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and even fish. This was a major initiative that took many months to research and program into the site, and it is being well-received within the shelter community.

Q: What are some of the unique features on your website?
A: On our website, people can use something we call “Search Saver.” This feature will notify users by e-mail when a particular pet fitting their specifications in available for adoption. For example, I can tell “Search Saver” where I live and what type of breed I am looking for. When that animal is available, I am notified the next time a pet matching my search is added on Adopt-a-Pet.com.

As of this summer we have now made it easy for our visitors to find pets and then recommend them to friends and family via Facebook, Twitter and other social applications. We are calling the idea “Social Petworking.” Here is how it works; once you have searched and found a pet in need, on the pet details page simply hover over the button labeled “SHARE,” there you can send the pet details page to any of your friends.

Q: You've teamed up with a well-known artisit to help raise awareness and money for animals in need. Please share this exciting news!

A: We have teamed up with renowned street-artist Shepard Fairey, who designed the iconic Obama "Hope" image. As a result, we have available a number of stylish ways to promote pet adoption. Shepard was able to translate his work with Obama to an image that can be used to represent pet adoption support. You can download the image to share, embed it on your website or print it. T-shirts and clothing and stickers are available too and these purchases help raise money to help homeless pets.

Q: What other kind of information can we find on the website?

A: Adopt-a-Pet.com has recently begun blogging, and every week we publish posts from two separate columns. On Tuesday, we blog about pet care tips, and on Fridays we do our best to find heartwarming stories about adopted pets all over the country. Here are a few highlights from our blog:

10 Ways To Help Homeless Pet, Even If You Can’t Adopt
What To Ask Your Veterinarian
Good News In Pet Adoption – A Weekly Post
10 Things To Consider Before Adopting

Adopt-a-pet is also on Facebook and you can follow us on Twitter at AdoptaPetcom.

Watch the Trailer for Our Book: HAPPY DOG CARING FOR YOUR DOG'S BODY, MIND and SPIRIT

Here's the trailer for our book:

If you don't see you dog, please email us a photo at info@happydogland.com and we'll include it on our website, which is coming soon at www.happydogland.com.

Tips To Keep Fido in Tip-Top Shape

Here's some easy ways to keep Fido's body, mind and spirit healthy. Print this tip sheet out and post it on your refrigerator.

• Insect the dog from head to toe and front to back, every week for growths, injuries abnormalities or grooming issues.
• Clean teeth, eyes, ears, paws, rear end and genitals regularly. Keep nails trimmed.
• Visit the veterinarian at least once a year for a check up and as often as necessary for emergencies or mishaps.
• Keep your dog’s vaccinations current.
• Spay and neuter.
• Don’t forget doggie dental care at home and with the vet.
• Feed your dog the most nutritional food and treats you can afford.
• Love and play with your dog every day.
• Use preventatives to protect against parasites such as fleas, ticks and heartworm.
• The dog must wear current identification at all times.
• Keep your dog on leash or in a 100% secure area if off leash.
• Be a canine ambassador: clean up after your dog and train him to be well behaved.
• Help dogs in need and speak out to protect animals.

Arthur Finds His Inner-Herder or How Breed Based-Activties Equal Big Fun For Fido

Billy's Cocker Spaniel Arthur herds chicken at a friend's farm in Indiana.

You know what they say, you can take the dog out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the dog.

Arthur, a normally mellow, urbane and beautifully- coiffed Cocker Spaniel typically spends his day greeting clients at Billy's salon, strolling the Chicago sidewalks and romping with his brother Zeke in a high-rise apartment. Yet, this weekend Arthur's ancestral yearnings took over and Arthur went from city dog to Barnyard Dawg faster than you can say "Foghorn Leghorn."

Why did this happen?

Through the magic of genetics, Arthur found his inner gun dog. Despite his years in the city, Arthur's innate urge to flush game and retrieve never left him. Arthur chased, herded and retrieved chickens to his hearts content. His tail never stopped wagging.

No matter how citified Fido may be, his breed (or breeds) often reveal a new way to exercise, play and relieve boredom. Historically, breeds had specific jobs. For example, Portuguese Water dogs worked in the water with fishermen, herding fish into nets, moving nets in the water and delivering messages between ships. Basset Hounds, with their long ears and highly developed sense of smell and slow pace, assisted hunters in tracking prey. Border Collies herded and protected flocks of sheep.

Dogs require mental and physical stimulation to prevent boredom and destructive behavior. Today, most dogs are unemployed and spend their days in backyards, parks and living rooms. Discovering your dog's hereditary job offers a new way to keep Fido mentally and physically fit--it also decrease the chances that Fido will chew your furniture to release energy or stress.

So, do some research and learn about your furry friend's history. Then, find an activity that emphasizes the job your dog was meant to perform. If your pooch is a genetic mix, try out jobs from all his breeds.

Hide snacks in your yard and set your Beagle loose to uncover the treasure. Join a hunting club for your pointer, spaniel, terrier or hound, but dress her in orange to keep her safe from other hunters. Or buy a stuffed squirrel and play fetch. A farmer may require help herding his sheep (or chickens) or a golf course may need a dog to keep birds off the grass. Here in Chicago, the Park District occasionally uses Border Collies to chase seagulls and geese away from beaches and parks. The possibilities are limitless. An uber-yuppie friend of Happy Dog Land now spends his weekends in the brush instead of in the artisanal cheese shoppe so his German Short-haired Pointer can hunt with other members of a hunting club. Who knows, you may even find your inner-Homo Erectus.

Before we go, we state for the record, that no chickens were harmed in the making of this blog entry.

July 4th: Pets and Fireworks Don't Mix

Even though it seems logical to bring Fido along to outside celebrations, sometimes it is better to leave him home. Fourth of July is not a dog-friendly holiday. Many dogs are easily spooked by fireworks. Indeed, dogs often become noise sensitive as they age.

When fireworks are booming, Fido should always be inside, sequestered in a safe, quiet room. In addition, never leave Fido unattended in your yard on July 4th (or any other time). Stray fireworks can land there or the noise of neighboring fireworks can scare him and he’ll desperately try to escape. Whether or not he succeeds, he can seriously injure himself.

If you do bring Fido with you to a celebration, keep him on leash at all times. Your normally calm dog may dart off unexpectedly and terrible accidents happen to dogs off leash, especially when you throw pyrotechnics into the mix. Fido should be nowhere near cherry bombs, Roman candles, sparklers or anything else that involves fire and gunpowder. If he gets too close, he can be burned, lose an eye or suffer hearing loss from the explosions.

Immediately dispose of all unused fireworks and remnants, as they are toxic if ingested. After the holiday, look for firework pieces when you’re out walking or playing. Protect everyone’s pet by throwing away anything you find.

Besides, if you leave Fido safe at home, you can relax and celebrate the birthday of our great nation!

Dogs, Camp and Reading

Yesterday, Jill dropped her son off for camp in a parking lot in the suburbs of Boston. It was Ian's first time at camp, and like most of the campers (new and old) the boys were nervous. It's not easy to leave your parents, whether you're 9 or 15. About half of the families had brought along their dogs as Jill would have if Shadow could fly in the cabin.

In the parking lot, both humans and canines could sense that the air was thick with emotions: excitement, nervousness, anticipation and fear. As the people and pets milled about, Jill noticed that virtually every kid bent down to pet the dogs as they walked by. Each time, Jill could see that the interaction melted away some of the nervousness and distracted the kid as he was about to leave his parents and his comfort zone behind. As the time for departure grew near, more kids and now parents were petting and smooching the dogs. As people flocked to the dogs, conversations were started and new friends found. Clearly, the dogs provided emotional support to everyone standing in the shadow of the buses.

Dogs are used in therapy for many of the same reasons they proved helpful in the parking lot. Dogs break down emotional barriers, offer unconditional and non-judgmental love and support, which encourages people to work through their stress.

Programs like Sit, Stay Read, Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.), Bidewee's Reading to Dogs Program, Reading with Rover, PAWS for Reading and many others around the country bring therapy dogs to schools, libraries and clubs to help children learn to read. When the kids, most of whom have poor literacy skills, read aloud to the dogs magic occurs. The dog listens attentively and never corrects, laughs or teases the child. The dog is a non-threatening listener and the children are relaxed and willing to try to read aloud. As a child's reading skills improve, so does the child's confidence and self-esteem. Teachers report that formerly hesitant students volunteer to read aloud and students develop a love of reading. Hard numbers back this up. (Look here too.)

So, whether kids are going to camp, learning to read or coping with other stressful situations, dogs are there to lend a helping hand -- er paw. This is one of the myriad reasons dogs why are man's (woman's and kids') best friend.

Good Books For New Puppies

Teresa from Alaska recently wrote to Happy Dog Land asking us to recommend training books to help with her two new adorable puppies (pictured below).

Emma with her new brother Sam.

Big sis Kaytie holding Bailey.

We asked two well respected and trusted Certified Pet Dog Trainers (CPDT) trainers Lynn Brezina and Jamie Damato for suggestions. Here is their list:

• Positive Puppy Training Works by Joel Walton
• Before and After Getting Your Puppy by Dr. Ian Dunbar
• Puppy Primer by Patricia McConnell
• The Puppy Whisperer by Paul Owens

Of course, your home work along with a well recommended puppy class that teaches positive reinforcement rather than punishment-based training will start your new pup's life off on the right paw!