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Second Chances Dalmatian Rescue Newsletter |
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Important Reminders!
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Register your dog’s Microchip! It’s easy and free. Simply go to 24 Petwatch
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Subscribe to the Yahoo Alumni Group. If you are not already a member, this is a free group for past adopters. Share stories, questions and photos of your new addition! To subscribe click here and click on “Join This Group”
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Volunteer! We are always in need of help with fostering, fundraising, transporting…if you are interested please e-mail Jenny
- Our Website: Check out our newly updated and redesigned website! We now have information about the 101 Dalmatians Musical and an updated Spot Shop with new items for sale. Thank You to Victoria Lantz Web Development for creating our new look.
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Think Spring Fundraiser
Spring really is around the corner and what better way to perk up your mood than buying your bulbs for spring planting.
SCDR has partnered with Flower Power to sell spring flower bulbs and 50% of the sales will go directly to our rescue. You order on-line, have the bulbs shipped directly to you and you can even invite friends and family to participate. Check out the Flower Power Website and order today!
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Quick Links..
Victoria Lantz Web Development
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March Business Spotlight:
If you are in the Columbus, Ohio area check out Flatiron Bar and Diner at 129 E Nationwide Blvd.
For more information including their hours and menu check out their website
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The 101 Dalmatians Muscial
Don’t forget to check to see when The 101 Dalmatians Musical is coming to your city. Five of the Dalmatians we rescued are in the show: Bert, Jada, Rascal, Lacey and Jackson. We are still raffling off two tickets for opening night in the following cities:
Indianapolis, IN (March 9-14)
New York City, NY (April 6-25)
Pittsburgh, PA (May 18-23)
If you are interested in purchasing raffle tickets, please e-mail Shelley at ssiefert@neo.rr.com
Tickets are $5.00 each or 5 for $20.00 and 100% of the proceeds go towards helping the Dalmatians in our program.
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Well, it is March and hopefully Spring is around the corner! Even here in Dallas we got a taste of winter with record level snowfalls and colder than normal temperatures.
March will be an exciting month for the rescue because The 101 Dalmatians Musical comes to Columbus, OH (March 2-7) and we have a full week planned. We will have a table in the lobby of the theater each night of the performance, handing out information and collecting donations. FOX’s Good Day Columbus will be broadcasting from the theater on Wednesday morning and we have already done several interviews for the local print media about the rescue. Check the website for more details about a meet and greet with the Dalmatians that are in the musical and a special offer from Flatiron Bar & Diner.
On a much sadder note, one of our volunteers passed away on February 17th. Geneva Burke adopted two Dalmatians from us and was a wonderful volunteer. Please make sure to visit our website and the memorial page we set up honoring Geneva’s memory.
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Foster Dog “Spotlight”
Lindsey came into rescue in July of 2009. Lindsey is approx 4-5 years old and was found wandering the streets as a stray. She is timid when she firsts meets you but once she is comfortable, she is sweet as can be! She is very gentle and affectionate and loves other dogs so a four legged playmate and a fenced yard would be ideal! As you can tell from the picture, Lindsey is just a little spoiled and we wouldn’t want it any other way!
Check out her full bio on our website and let’s get this girl a home!!
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Dog to Dog Aggression
Many of us live in households with multiple dogs coming from a variety of backgrounds. So, more likely than not, you have experienced some form of aggression between your four legged friends. Whether it is sibling rivalry, fear aggression, protective/resource guarding aggression or dominance aggression, dog to dog aggression is a potentially serious problem for any dog, or human, who is drawn into a conflict.
 Dog to Dog aggression is a complex behavior which is caused by a variety of factors and can surface at any time. Usually dog to dog aggression can be attributed to poor early socialization, a bad experience in the past, the result of a dominance struggle or it can be an inherited trait. The very first step when dealing with dog to dog aggression is to rule out a medical problem. Take a trip to your vet to make sure there is not a medical reason for the aggression.
Because dog to dog aggression is complex and requires an individual approach, it is recommended that you seek the advice of an experienced animal behaviorist (your vet may be able to recommend one).
One reason SCDR stresses the importance of obedience training (and require that all dogs go through obedience in our contract) is that obedience training results in you being seen as a fair and trusted leader from your dog’s perspective. This will help improve the bond and communication between you and your dog.
A few important Don’ts when dealing with dog to dog aggression: Never add punishment or pain (shock collars; alpha rolls) to a dog who is already stressed – this will likely escalate the problem.
Never comfort or pet your dog when he/she displays aggression (in any form) – this sends your dog the message that this kind of behavior is acceptable and it actually encourages the behavior
Some of the common causes of dog on dog aggression:
- Instability in the dominance hierarchy between the dogs – this can happen at any time and the hierarchy may shift when a dog passes away or when another dog is brought into the home. When a dog reaches social maturity he/she may start to challenge the status of the older dog(s) in the house.
- Competitiveness for things: whether it is fighting over food, toys, attention from humans…many times dog to dog aggression is a result of competition for resources
- Lack of early puppy socialization and poor bite inhibition. Because we do not know the background of many of the dogs that come into rescue, we do not know how they were treated as puppies.
- Dog on Dog aggression is common when dogs of the same sex and same age live together
- Dogs will fight from time to time and in many cases they will work out their differences quicker if they are allowed to do so without our interference
So, how do you control this problem? The key is to identify the triggers and address the triggers. This way you are getting to the root of the problem and treating the problem, not just stopping the end result.
- The number one step is to become your dogs respected leader. You can accomplish this through obedience training
- Exercise, Exercise, Exercise! The more exercise (mental and physical) that a dog gets, the more likely they are to burn off excess energy and this will calm them down a bit. A good dog is a tired dog! If you work all day, consider taking your dog to Doggie Daycare or hiring a dog walker to walk your dog in the middle of the day for 30 min or an hour.
- If you see that one of your dogs has established his/her role as the dominant one, work with that. Do not interfere or try to change that role. Instead, work with it. Put the dominant dogs food down first, greet him/her first.
For more information on behavioral problems in dogs, please visit
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Alumni Updates - Monte & Tex
Monte and Tex were both two very troubled boys who came into rescue at different times but were both adopted by Beckie McDorman (our new Intake Coordinator).
Monte came into rescue in 2005 from a shelter in Michigan. To say he was a scared boy is an understatement. Whatever happened to him previously, he had completely shut down and was terrified of everything and every person. We really did not think he would ever find a home. Tex also came into rescue in 2005 and he came from a Missouri Puppy Mill along with his two breeding females. Tex was 3 years old and had been kept in a cramped crate for most of the hours in the day and got very little social interaction. Even though they came from different places, Tex and Monte were kindred spirits and they knew they hit the jackpot when Beckie adopted them both!
Monte
Here is an update on the boys from Beckie:
“Monte was such a scared, fragile little man when he came to live with us. Someone had really broken his spirit. He had no idea what a toy was, and was scared to death of his leash & collar. But most of all he was very scared of people, and trusted no one. With alot of love and TLC he has turned into a wonderful dog. We saw the big turn around in him after he attended the Dalmatian Rescue Picnic. He loves to give kisses, and has become a big couch potato. He loves his toys and walks, and really enjoys riding in the car. Monte’s belief and trust in people has returned, along with his spirit. He is my precious little man.
Tex
Tex was very scared and nervous as well when he came to live with us. He had no trust in people at all. The first night we brought him home, we took him out in the back yard with our other dogs, and it took us 4 hours to get him in the house, because he was so scared. With alot of work, patience, TLC and the great work of a behaivorist, Tex has turned into one of the happiest dogs I have ever seen. It took a long time, but he now gives us kisses, and is also very much a couch potato. Monte and Tex have really become pals, and 2 precious members of our family.”
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Sincerely,
Jenny, Tami, Sherie, Beckie and Shelley
Second Chances Dalmatian Rescue
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| Fundraising “Spotlight”
SCDR Is holding our very first On-line charity auction beginning in May. We will be auctioning off many items including SCDR apparel, Dalmatian themed items and several themed gift boxes.
We are asking for your help for donations, especially the gift boxes. Some of you may remember that we had a silent auction at our golf tournament a few years ago and all of the gift baskets were donated by our wonderfully creative volunteers! So, we come to you again to ask if you would be willing to donate a themed gift box (since we will be shipping all items) of your choice. Because this is an on-line auction, we will be mailing all items to the highest bidder using the flat rate boxes from the United States Post Office.
Once you have your items assembled for your gift box, please take a picture of it and email that along with a list of the items and the retail value to Shelley at ssiefert@neo.rr.com. Please have your photo and list submitted to Shelley no later than April 18th. She will get everything posted on the eBay charity site and we will send out an official announcement with the dates of the auction. Once the auction is closed, we will e-mail you the shipping information for the winner of your gift box so you can send it to them. We will reimburse you the $14.50 flat rate shipping charge.
A few things to keep in mind:
Since this is an on-line auction, people from all over the country could be bidding on the items. So, if you include a gift card in your gift box try to make it from a national chain.
We recommend that all of your items (when laid flat) fit in a USPS Priority Mail Large flat rate shipping box. You can get these for free at the post office and they measure 12″x12″x5 1/2″
The more state/city specific your gift box the less general appeal it may have, try to keep the theme one that will appeal to the masses, no matter where they live
no alcohol can be shipped in the gift box
Listed below are some ideas for themes but please feel free to come up with your own!
Dog Basket A week of no cooking
Date Night Manicure/pedicure basket
BBQ Basket Margarita Basket (no alcohol)
50’s Flashback Coffee & Tea Basket
Pamper Basket Movie Night
Golf Basket Buckeye Fan Basket
Gardening Basket Family Entertainment
Italian Basket Reader’s Delight Basket |
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