YOUR NEWS

Dear FABB Members,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  We hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday season.  The past year was a big year for Families Against Breed Bans.  Not only was it the year FABB was created, but it was also a year full of anti-BSL successes.  Despite many cities opting to create non-breed specific dog laws, there still are many cities in the country that are considering some sort of breed restriction.  FABB has a big year ahead of it, as it continues to ensure that Seattle stays clear of any form of BSL.  Once BSL hits a big city, more cities are likely to follow!  The organizers of FABB would like to thank everyone who has taken part in helping our mission, as well as those who care and rescue homeless dogs everyday.  We hope everyone finds success and happiness with your endeavors in the coming year!

Holiday Wishes,

Your Organizers

BSL UPDATE

Successes
Monroe, WA - Monroe is not a final success as council was only put off BSL for six months but it was a victory none the less. The amazing amount of supporters who showed up to the council meeting and all of the eloquent speakers really made a difference in the minds of the council members who were not set in their ways. There were so many people there to speak against BSL that the council had to put up speakers in the parking lot allowing everyone to hear! We only have 3 months left to work with Monroe Council in enacting a non-breed specific solution but we can do it!

Sumner, WA – Sumner passed a non-breed specific dangerous dog ordinance in the beginning of December enabling authorities to act based on a dog’s behavior by creating restrictions for both the dog and its owners. This new ordinance allows a dog to be declared potentially dangerous before it actually attacks someone but after it displays specific threatening behavior.

Scotland, UK – Also not a final success but Scotland is looking at veering away from the UK’s 1991 Dangerous Dog Act which declares pit bulls dangerous. The Control of Dogs Bill will be published in early 2009 after multiple attacks on Scotland’s postal workers prompted the Communication Workers Union to speak out. Dave Joyce, CWU’s National Health, Safety and Environment Officer stated: “The 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act has done nothing to reduce attacks. It provides little protection for Postal and communication workers. We are giving our full backing to Alex Neil’s proposed Control of Dogs (Scotland) Bill. We are calling for cross party support when the Bill comes before the Scottish Parliament in order to facilitate the swift passage of the Bill on to the statute book and want the rest of the UK to follow the Scottish lead.”

Losses
Moses Lake, WA – On November 25th, despite many people including FABB member Julie Russell showing up to speak against it, Moses Lake Council passed their Hazardous Dogs ordinance. APBT’s, Rottweiler’s and AmStaff’s will be labeled Hazardous Dogs due to their breeds as of January 1, 2009. Interestingly, the council had earlier created a committee to research BSL. Despite the committee’s findings that it didn’t work, the council still proceeded with their plan. Another interest to note, the mayor’s vote was included although he was not supposed to vote. Because council member’s emails are not accessible to the public, please feel free to email mivory@ci.moses-lake.wa.us to express disappointment. The fight against BSL is still very much alive and well in Moses Lake.

WINTER SAFETY

Winter can be a cold, snowy, and wet time of year for humans and dogs alike. Here are some tips for keeping your dog warm and safe during the winter months:

•    Many dogs love playing in the snow. If your dog is one of these, make sure to check his or her paws periodically. Ice can easily get stuck in between the paw pads and cut up the tender flesh.
•    Dogs like pit bulls don’t have much in the way of fur so they tend to get cold easily. This can vary from dog to dog, of course, but keep an eye on your dog to ensure that he or she is not shivering when walking or romping outside. To combat the cold in a cost effective manner, consider going to Value Village and buying a children’s sweatshirt. You can cut the sleeves off at the length needed.
•    With winter comes shorter days and longer nights. If you walk your dog before or after work, this often means walking him or her in the dark. Consider purchasing a reflective vest for both yourself and your dog and a blinking light that you can attach to the collar so that cars can steer clear of you in the dark.
•    Off-leash dogs seem to be even more of a nuisance than usual during the winter months as owners take their dogs to run in fields. When walking your dog, keep yourself on guard for off-leash dogs as uncontrolled meetings, friendly or not, and icy sidewalks do not mix very well. Use all the normal techniques of warding of a loose dog such as yelling at the dog in a loud, deep voice, yelling to the owner (if in sight) to get the dog and even carrying a form of Mace to spray.
•    Don’t leave dogs in cars for lengthy periods of time as it will get too cold for them!
•    Don’t leave your dog unattended with electric heaters and electric blankets plugged-in as they could easily chew the electric cords or knock down the heater and cause a fire.
•    Keep your dog on-leash in public no matter how fun it is to watch them zoom around in the snow. Dogs can easily lose their sense of smell with snow on the ground and lose their way back home.
•    Make sure your dog’s tags and microchip information are updated.  If your dog isn’t microchipped, please consider doing so!

Keep you and your pups safe as you enjoy all that the cold months have to offer!

FABB’S DOG OF THE MONTH

MEET ROO!

Roo, was just 8 weeks old when he was picked up by Burlington Animal Control due to his horrific mange condition. Sadly, poor Roo had an owner who allowed him to deteriorate to the point that he looked more like a Shar-pei pup than the pit bull puppy that he is. Covered in sores, hairless, smelly and malnourished, it was difficult to decide if Roo even had a chance, or if it was better to end his suffering then and there. Fortunately for him, a Burlington area rescue, Saving Pets One At A Time (SPOT), stepped up to the plate and sent him to one of their foster homes to be slowly nursed back to health.

Roo is estimated to be 14 weeks old now and still needs medical care for his demodectic mange and the resulting deep skin infections. Though he already has 75% of his coat back, he will not be ready to go to his forever home until the mange has completely cleared up due to how fragile his skin is. Even so, Roo is still catching up socially so he will need a special person to help him along. Please contact SPOT Rescue at spot@savingpetsoneatatime.org for more information on Roo’s special needs and his constant developments.

Roo had a rough start to life. Please consider helping him overcome these rough spots (more like sinkholes!!). To see Roo you can visit him on Petfinder.

Images kindly provided by SPOT: Roo at 13 weeks old and poor state he was in upon his arrival at the shelter at just 8 weeks old!

Donations for Roo can be sent to:
Saving Pets One at a Time
PO Box 211
Burlington, WA 98233

or through Paypal

More on FABB’s Dog of the Month: Each month, we will be spotlighting a local rescue/shelter dog in need on our member’s site. If you are interested in adoption, please contact the rescue or shelter that’s housing the dog.

*Disclaimer: Families Against Breed Bans is not a rescue or dog adoption agency. We do not have the resources or the ability to assess a dog’s adoptability or a potential adopter’s qualifications. Families Against Breed Bans is not responsible for the placement of any dog it spotlights, nor does it guarantee the health or temperament of the dog regardless of what is made known by the shelter or rescue.

“SIT” AND “DOWN STAYS” ▪ By: Stormi King, CCS

Whether you’re planning to compete, or just want a dog who won’t charge your visitors when you let them in the door, a sit or down stay is a handy tool to have at your disposal. I personally use it at a coffee shop that I frequent in the mornings.  I have my dog stay near the door while I approach the counter to order my coffee (don’t attempt this before asking if the establishment is dog friendly!).

Once you have a reliable sit or down command, reliable meaning your dog responds at least 95% of the time to your cue, you can begin training stay. There are three very important factors to consider while beginning your “stay” training.  They are: Distance, Duration, and Distraction. The Three Ds! The Three Ds are important to keep in mind, because you must build your dog’s skills on each one, one at a time. Asking a novice dog to perform a three minute sit stay while you leave the room and heat up leftovers is like asking a five-year-old child to sit quietly through an insurance seminar. It’s not likely to happen.

Start off with distance in a low distraction environment like your living room. Place your dog in a sit or down, whichever you prefer, facing you, and tell him “stay” (if you’d like to use a hand cue as well, insert the cue after you tell him “stay”), and take half a step back. Immediately return to him, mark his good behavior if he stayed (i.e. “Yay! Good dog!” or use a clicker if your dog is clicker trained), and then give him a yummy treat reward. Don’t expect him to stay for more than one second at this point, and don’t take more steps back than he is ready for.

“Stay” is a tough command for a dog to learn, and you want to build on successes rather than failures. If your dog pops up, try taking a quarter step or less backwards until he gets the idea. What you want to teach him is, “if you keep your butt on the ground, you will get a reward when I come back”. Slowly increase the distance. Half a step at first, then a full step, then two, then three, and so on, immediately returning to your dog every time with a reward.

Once you’ve hit about five feet reliably, try mixing it up. Tell him “stay,” walk back just a few steps, and stay there for three seconds and then return. Now you are adding duration. Keep in mind, while working on one of the Ds, you must drop your criteria for the other two Ds. For example, if your dog is reliable at a distance of five feet, to begin working on duration you will take those five feet back to maybe one or two feet. Asking them to increase their duration while still working at five feet is asking too much for a beginner, so you have to cut the poor guy (or gal!) a little slack.

Once you have success with both distance and duration in a home environment, try taking it to the backyard. If you don’t have a yard, try somewhere outside where there is not too much distraction. Trying to train at a busy park might be asking too much for your beginner. Remember, when you move to a different location and increase the distraction (new people, sights, and smells, oh my!), you’ll need to lower your expectations for the distance you walk away, and how long before you return. If at any point in your training your dog breaks his stay and gets up, go back to the training point where he was last successful, and try again, going slower.

Keep your training sessions short and fun. When your pup isn’t “into it” anymore, take a break, or bring out some extra special treats. Only ask of them what they are capable of doing, and give them lots of love for doing it! Remember: you are helping your dog learn, so make learning fun! If you work in slow increments and build on those good stays, you’ll have a champion “stay”er in no time!