For those of you who read the above and are wondering what Petsmart is, picture a department store that carries everything you could possible want or need for your pet! You'll find food and treats, collars and leashes containment fencing, crates, cat litter... you get the picture. Best part of all? You can shop with your dog! Want to check out what Petsmart has to offer?
petsmart.ca
But back to Samson's Petsmart outing and why we like to take our dogs there to help socialize them. I don't know if anyone will agree with me but I like to socialize my dogs in a controlled environment where there are actions taking place that mimic what he/she will encounter outside of the home on a daily basis. Walking the aisles of this giant pet department store gives me this in an indoor environment that is more controlled. Shoppers (and their doggie companions) provide distractions that enable me to correct and train my dog to behave properly in a social environment. Once they learn to behave properly inside I can then be assured that no matter where I take my dogs, they will behave accordingly.
So first we will take Samson for a long walk to drain his energy. We want a low energy dog when trying to put Samson in a motor vehicle. He does not like to travel in cars yet. When you are 9 months old and weigh 85lbs. and aren't really old enough to have seen much of the world then everything is a big deal. So we drain Samson's energy so that he just follows along and getting into the car is not such a big deal. Trust me this works much better for everyone involved than trying to wrestle an 85lb puppy into a little metal box he doesn't want to be put in. To Samson my Tracker is just a big crate on wheels, and he does not like crates.
Once we have drained his energy and gotten him settled in the car we will drive him to Petsmart. Then we will just basicially deal with the outcome of a walk through the store. Samson is a gentle soul, he's loveable as hell, as long as I can stop him from jumping up to kiss every stranger he meets. I'll let you know what happened with Samson's Petsmart visit in Monday's blog post.
Other than the adventures at Petsmart, the rest of the weekend will be spent working around the house and playing with the dogs. That's the plan but as you all know that could change at a moment's notice.
You never know when we will have to drop everything to run and help another animal in distress. I am on a first name basis with my vet. When my husband goes to work people ask him questions about dog behavior. We used to get so frustrated that everyone always wanted us to take in the dogs they had found. No one was ever willing to foster them until I found them a home, or adopt them themselves. Everyone used to call us to ask us to take in the strays they had picked up. Now they call us to ask us how to help the ones they have taken in.
Hey! It's the weekend, and I just realized...we ARE making progress, and you can too, simply by choosing to make your next pet a rescue. Already have a rescued dog? Then think about getting him/her a friend and adopt a second rescue. Not ready for two dogs on a permanent basis? Step up and foster a dog that needs a temporary home. Get involved and change will come. Besides do you know what it feels like to save a life? I do. It is the most amazing feeling you could ever experience! And let me tell you something else,
MY RESCUE DOG RESCUED ME!
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