Planet Dog Blog

Planet Dog Wags for Hemp History Week!

It is Hemp History Week! Many thanks to Planet Dog's Founder, Partner and Chief Creative Officer, Alex Fisher, for this week's blog post, and for helping us to celebrate hemp, the eco-friendly fiber of the past & the future.

"Make the most of Indian Hemp seed and sow it everywhere."
-George Washington, 1794

In 1997, when we first introduced Planet Dog to the market, we made our products from hemp because it felt like the right thing to do. 

In 2013, we make our products from hemp because it feels like the right thing to do AND it is the most durable and eco-friendly material, natural OR man made, that money can buy.

What was once a niche textile in a niche market is now a standard in the modern textile market. What was once used predominantly by such eco-pioneers as Patagonia is now a staple for companies like Nike, Revlon, Armani, Ralph Lauren, and, of course, Planet Dog.

As we like to point out...

4500 BC: China uses Hemp for ropes, fishing nets, paper, cloth, food and oil.

1492: Columbus sails the ocean blue with sails & rigging made from Hemp.

1776: The Declaration of Independence is written on Hemp paper. 

1941: Henry Ford builds prototype car made of Hemp fiber.

1997: Planet Dog first introduces line of hemp pet products. 

2012: Planet Dog hemp products save a dog's life after Hurricane Sandy:

"My dog, Sancho, is an English Bull dog. He weighs 90 pounds and the day of the [Hurricane Sandy] flood I found out that he does not know how to swim.  

The first floor of my home was flooded with 10 feet of water. I knew we had to leave the house and swim to a safe place. I put the harness on my dog and threw him into the cold water and he began to sink. He tried to paddle, however his feet are very short and his body is very heavy. 

I grabbed him by the strap of the Planet Dog harness that runs along his back and used it to pull his body high enough so that his head was above the water. I used the leash and the harness to pull him as high as I could so that he was suspended above the water while I opened up the fence to get out to the street. It was amazing - he was suspended in the air for about a minute.  I was terrified that the Planet Dog harness and leash would rip and he would fall and drown.  After I opened the fence door, again I used the harness to hold his head above the water as we swam through the water to dry land. The harness saved my dogs life and I can not begin to express my gratitude. To this day I use the same harness.  Thank you so much!  - Gregory Tsinker, Staten Island, NY

We know hemp is strong and durable, but we didn't realize it could save a dog's life. As we take a moment out of our daily romps to look back at the rich history of hemp, we are grateful to remember Sancho's story. The positive impact this eco-friendly seed has had on our planet may have just begun and we at Planet Dog are particularly proud to play even the smallest role in it's evolution. Happy Hemp History Week to all!!!

 

The Planet Dog Foundation Awards $71,000 in New Grants

Happy May, Dear Readers! Those of you who follow us know that Planet Dog donates 2% of every sale to the Planet Dog Foundation (PDF), Planet Dog's non-profit grant making organization that supports canine service programs working to help people in need.

The PDF Board of Directors is thrilled to announce the grantees for our Spring, 2013 grant cycle - we have awarded $71,000 in new grants to sixteen canine service organizations across the country!  These grants will help fund service dog, therapy dog and canine search and rescue programs across the country and support a wide variety of non-profit programs that are helping children and adults in need.   

The new PDF grantees are listed below. We encourage you to read about all of these amazing organizations, and join us in supporting them as they do their life-saving work. We cannot award these grants without the loyal support of our customers, our friends and our fans, so we thank you for your support which allows us to give back to so many inspiring programs. On behalf of the thousands of dogs and people we will help in this grant cycle, we thank you!

Can Do Canines, a non-profit dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for people with disabilities by creating mutually beneficial partnerships with specially trained Autism, Diabetes, Hearing, Mobility and Seizure Assist Dogs, will use the $7,500 grant to expand their program and increase the number of Diabetes Assist Dogs. 

CAREing Paws of Georgia, a local group of registered therapy dog teams that conduct visits in places such as nursing homes, hospitals, libraries and schools, will use the $1,500 PDF grant to support a new literacy/reading program.

Carolina Canines for Service, a non-profit dedicated to empowering people with disabilities to achieve greater independence and enhanced quality of life through the services of specially trained dogs, will use the $5,000 PDF grant to enable military prisoners to train rescued dogs for veterans dealing with TBI, PTSD and mobility limitations.  

Compassionate Canines, a therapy dog program dedicated to providing comfort, support and animal companionship to people of all ages in a variety of settings, will use the $3,000 PDF grant to help fund a state-wide therapy dog conference for volunteer therapy dog teams.  

 FireK9.org, a non-profit public benefit California corporation that supports and promotes the use of professional independent canine accelerant detection teams on an international level, will use the $7,500 PDF grant to offer accelerant detection dog certification training.  

Friends of Umpqua Valley Police K9 Programs, a non-profit that provides support to recognized police canine programs, will use the $1,200 PDF grant to help fund certification training for Police K9 programs.

Gabriel’s Angels, a non-profit that delivers healing pet therapy to at-risk children, will use the $5,000 PDF grant to continue to nurture their emotional development and enhance their quality of life.  

Home for Life, a no-kill animal sanctuary, will use the $5,000 PDF grant to support their therapy dog program which utilizes adjudicated youth to train rescued dogs. 

Intermountain Search Dogs, a non-profit search and rescue organization, will use the $3,500 PDF grant to offer cadaver certification training for search and rescue volunteer teams.  

Leader Dogs for the Blind, a non-profit that provides free guide dogs, GPS and O&M programs for the blind and visually impaired, will use the $7,000 PDF grant to support their Court Canine Advocates Program in which dogs assist children and other victims in court testimony.  

Lollypop Farm, an animal shelter and sanctuary, will use the $5,000 PDF grant to support their Pet Assisted Therapy (PAT) program that provides comfort, motivation, inspiration, compassion, affection and joy to people of all ages and backgrounds.  

Massachusetts Vest-a-Dog, a non-profit organization that supports Massachusetts Police dogs by providing bulletproof vests, essential equipment, training and the purchase of dogs for police/law enforcement K-9 programs throughout Massachusetts, will use the $7,000 grant to help fund a conference on tactical woodland training and K9 first aid.  

The Ohio Federation of K9 Search Teams, Inc., a non-profit made up of dedicated, trained, unpaid professional search teams and individuals located throughout the State of Ohio, will use the $2,000 PDF grant to help fund statewide training for search dog teams.  

Our VOICE, Inc., a non-profit crisis intervention and prevention agency which serves victims of sexual violence, will use the $750 PDF grant to help establish a new therapy dog program to assist victims of rape and sexual assault.  

Paws Giving Independence, a non-profit that provides highly-trained service and companion dogs for children and adults with disabilities, will use the $3,000 PDF grant to enable their all-volunteer program to continue to train rescue dogs to become service dogs.  

Texas Hearing and Service Dogs, Inc., a non-profit that trains dogs to assist Texans living with hearing or mobility challenges,  will use the $7,500 PDF grant to rescue more dogs and train them as service dogs.  

 

Embracing Hope This Earth Day

Like all of you, all of us at Planet Dog were devastated by the Boston Marathon bombings and the subsequent violent manhunt that paralyzed the city. Our hearts go out to the victims and their families, and everyone in Boston affected by the senseless attacks.

And, like many of you for many years, we found great comfort in the words of the great Mr. Rogers  from The Mister Rogers Parenting Book, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping."

There was so much hope in images of the first responders, the strangers helping strangers, the law enforcement officers rushing in to unknown and unfathomable danger, the medical staff in and out of the hospitals –so many helpers helping and giving us hope.

In the midst of so much sadness and bloodshed, we want to focus on the helpers, and find the reasons to hope. We have donated tens of thousands of dollars to police dogs, bomb sniffing dogs and therapy dogs, and there they were all over the news- helping in a crisis.  Our friends at the Life is Good Company had a team member injured in the attacks, and their response was to help with this t-shirt. 

 As another Earth Day winds down across the globe, we encounter a similar conundrum in facing the plight of Planet Earth. In the midst of dire predictions and negative reports we need to embrace hope, and be the helpers. 

Our team spent a chilly April afternoon doing our annual Earth Day Spring clean-up - building a compost bin for our dog waste, cleaning our flowerbeds and planting new perennials, raking away the signs of a VERY long winter and cleaning off the grill for the first barbecue of the season.   Our dogs watched and wagged, tickled by the grass, eager to roll in the new layers of mulch and hoping for a snack off the grill.

This year we became founding members of the Pet Industry Sustainability Council, to encourage our whole industry to move towards hope and be the helpers. Our Orbee-Tuff® Regrind-Recycle line remains one of our best sellers, so we know our customers, the dog-lovers of America, are helping too.

Every year we recommit to our pledge to make high quality, non-toxic, recyclable dog toys, and to helping take care of Mother Earth. This year, despite violence and poor climate reports, we pledge to continue to look for hope, to embrace and celebrate those doing good, and to do our best to be a helper.

 

Self-Training an Assistance Dog

Greetings, faithful readers. Please enjoy this amazing post from a courageous guest blogger sharing her tale of self-training her own assistance dog. Planet Dog and the Planet Dog Foundation are committed to supporting the many ways that dogs work to help people in need and we deeply thank Christina for sharing her story!

"When I was first asked to write this blog post, I was anxious about putting myself out there for everyone to see. Anxiety is nothing new for me, though, as you are about to find out. I eventually decided that it would be a good thing to write this, both for the education of others and for myself. 

My name is Christina and I work in the Planet Dog Company Store with my Service Dog in Training, Saxon. Late last summer (2012), I was finally diagnosed with Anxiety (with compulsions) and Panic Disorder (Panic Attacks), which I had suffered with my entire life, but never had a proper diagnosis.

Shortly after, a friend suggested a Service Dog (SD). It was something I'd never thought of for myself. I knew that SDs could help people with a variety of disabilities, both physical and mental, but I'd never thought of myself as disabled. So, I did my research and discovered that I would qualify under the Americans with Disabilities Act and I could probably benefit from the use of a SD. I talked to my psychologist about it and she agreed that it was something I should pursue.

I also learned that one option for disabled individuals is to train their own SD, if, for whatever reason, they decide a program dog is not right for them. Most people are aware of SD programs, but few are aware that individuals with disabilities may also train their own SD. This is what I decided to do. There are many reasons that I decided to owner train, but one of the main reasons is that I thought it would be beneficial to me to be involved in the training process.

 I already had a dog, Saxon, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier who was a little less than two at the time. I had adopted him a year and a half earlier when I was going through a low point. He was well trained, but he needed a lot more training before he could even be considered a SD candidate.

I made a few mistakes in the beginning: I brought him out into public too early, I began public access training before task training, and I didn't use enough reinforcement when training tasks. Luckily, though, none of my mistakes were too damaging and Saxon is doing amazingly well with his training. In fact, he just passed his Canine Good Citizen test last week! He still has a lot of training to go before he will be ready to work as my SD, but he is amazingly attentive and eager to please.

In order for a dog to be a SD, he has to do more than just provide comfort for his disabled handler. He has to perform specific tasks that help mitigate the handler's disability. Saxon's main tasks will be distracting/redirecting me during a panic attack, leading me to an exit or other safe space when I am feeling overwhelmed or having a severe panic attack, and interrupting and redirecting my compulsions. We will probably add more tasks as time goes on.

He will also be trained to retrieve dropped items as I sometimes have difficulty doing so myself as a result of joint pain. Because the pain is not severe enough to be considered disabling, this does not count as a task to mitigate a disability, but is a bonus. In addition to all of that he provides great comfort to me and I have fewer panic attacks when he is around, but that is not a task, it is just a wonderful and comforting bonus.

Saxon uses his paw to mitigate a panic attack

 

While owner training is a perfectly valid and legal way to train a SD, it's also a very difficult thing to do, especially without support. I was a member of a few online communities, which definitely helped, but it's nice to have the backing of a program to help you if you run into any issues.

Thankfully, about a month ago, I met a local SD partner who told me about a program called Possibility Dogs Inc. (http://possibilitydogs.org/) that trains rescue dogs with proper temperaments to be SDs for people with mental disabilities. I contacted the group and, because I adopted Saxon when he was five months old from a family who could no longer care for him, they considered him a rescue. They welcomed us to the program and offered to help us in any way they can.

They will assist us with any fundraising we may need for training or equipment, will provide us with a program ID and patches for his vests and harnesses (which are not required by the ADA, but help prevent access issues), and will document and administer a test called Public Access Test (PAT) later this year. A PAT is not required for a dog to be a SD, but it is a good test to take to ensure that the dog can effectively do his job in public without being distracted by what is going on around him, because there will be a lot of distractions!

Many people are unaware that you should not pet or try to distract a SD while the dog is working. When public access training with Saxon, I have had people run up and pet him, make kiss sounds to get his attention, squeal about how cute he is, take our picture without asking and we even encountered someone working in the mall who chased us with a remote controlled toy car! These were all great training opportunities for Saxon and me, but inappropriate ways to act around a SD.

While I am not likely to be hurt if Saxon isn't focussed on me for a minute or two, there are some SD handlers who can be injured or become ill if their SD is distracted from working. This is why it is so important for people to understand that SDs are working and should not be distracted from their job.

This comical Public Service Announcement from the Norwegian Association of the Blind does a great job of showing many of common ways that people distract SDs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nf6-i5C0Bwg& Instead of distracting the dog from working, talk to the handler (not to the dog) to ensure that it is ok to pet the dog and don't be offended if the handler says that you can't. I will often let people pet Saxon while he is in training if they ask nicely and it is an appropriate time to do so.

I am so thankful that that Saxon came into my life when he did and I am so thankful to all of the people who have supported me throughout this journey. I hope that you have found my post to be informative and please feel free to ask any questions you may have in the comments, I will do my best to answer them for you."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Great Canine Kissing Controversy of 2013

Those of you who have been reading the PDOG Blog since the beginning know that we hold an annual Canine Kissing Contest at the Planet Dog Company Store. Proceeds from the event support the Planet Dog Foundation, and help us fund service dogs, therapy dogs, military dogs, K-9 search and rescue and other ways that dogs work to help people in need. We invite our friends and fans to come in, have a seat on the big red dog bed, wait for the offical timer to say GO! and then let their pup kiss them for as long as he or she is willing.

This year was our 9th annual, and as always, we drew quite a crowd - some who wanted to compete, and some who came just to watch. And some dogs just wanted to kiss each other right behind the ear. 

We have always enjoyed some nice coverage from our local press for this event, and last year we were even contacted by a nationally known network interested in featuring the event on an episode of their upcoming series.That show never aired in the U.S., and nobody beyond our local fanbase really seemed to notice or care about our little Valentine's Day celebration. Until now.

This year, the Bangor Daily News ran their story, complete with clever wordplay and a rather graphic image of the winning kiss. Maybe it was a slow news day, because the Huffington Post picked it up and posted it in their Weird News and the word was out. The story was picked up by news outlets all over the country and even made it to the Daily Mail in the U.K.

Not one, but two different shock-jock morning programs called to mock the event on the air. We were asked if we had a Kiss Your Horse contest. There was mention of the Bestiality Convention. Spectators were referred to as voyeurs and participants as exhibitionists.

Comments on various sites ranged from supportive and congratulatory to disgusted and hateful. Suddenly, our fun annual event that has helped us raise thousands of dollars for our canine service grant program had become an international debate.

What do you think? Do you let your dog lick your face, even if you wouldn’t show it off in a public contest? Are we bordering on the obscene with our annual event? Do we apologize to the squeamish who find the practice appalling, or do we let love rule and keep our Kissing Contest on the annual calendar?

What do *you* think?

 

It's National Walk Your Pet Month- Enjoy!

Happy New Year to all our 2 and 4-legged friends!! All of us at Planet Dog wish you a happy and healthy 2013. This month's Blog Post comes from Planet Dog's longest-serving employee, Jeff Cloutier. Jeff has been with us for 11 years, and has done every job in the company at one point or another. Currently, Jeff is our Director of Sourcing and Product Development, and his dog Fletch is the Director of Welcoming and Vocal Greetings. Enjoy!

"January is “National Walk Your Pet Month”, and what a great opportunity it presents for pet owners to not only get out and get healthy with your best friend (or friends), but to share some of your favorite places to romp & exercise. Even as we experience below-freezing temperatures here in Maine, we still need to get out of the house and exercise ourselves and our pets.

Living in Freeport, Maine, presents plenty of opportunities for me and my 6 year old buddy Fletcher to get out and stretch our legs.  Freeport offerings range from the up & down trails on Bradbury and Hedgehog Mountains, to the easy flat trails of Pownal Field, and even downtown in Freeport Village for some people watching.  However, our favorite area to investigate is just a few minutes walk from LL Bean’s Flagship Store, at Leon Gorman Park. 

Donated to the town by Planet Dog's long-time partner and supporter LL Bean, this small park  encompasses a ravine and features a .5 mile loop trail with wooded bridges, picnic tables & benches, and, in the winter, a skating pond.  Fletch always enjoys all the different smells of the squirrels, chipmunks, and other dogs that make their way through the park, and in warmer weather,the stream is a perfect place to grab a quick drink!

Although not too large, the park is a beautiful sanctuary in the middle of bustling Freeport, and if you’d like to extend your walking adventure you can head towards the Village for the aforementioned people watching and window shopping. If you head away from the Village and cross Bow Street there is a nice trail that winds through the woods and ends up at the Mast Landing School. 

I always finish up our walk with a visit to the Bow Street Market, which is right next to the park and features lots of locally made munchies and drink offerings to help take the chill off after our brisk January walk. 

Where do you enjoy walking with your best friend(s)? What inspires you to get out and walk on even the coldest January days? Share with us your favorite spots, and have a great January!"

A Planet Dog Angel

Our warmest holiday greetings to everyone this season! This month, please find a (wonderfully heart-warming) blog post from the Planet Dog Top Dog and Co-Owner, Stephanie Volo.

"Something really special happened to Planet Dog yesterday.  Julie Bernier, a long-time partner and very special friend to Planet Dog (and to me), donated $520 to the Planet Dog Foundation (PDF).  Julie is a woman of many talents and pursuits- she is the founder and owner of Maine's only canine nursery school, Dances with Dogs, a doggy-biscuit baker, a sure-eyed photographer, a yoga enthusiast, and so much more.

Julie’s nature is to give and give generously. She has always been this way and is constantly thinking of ways to help and offer support to those around her. She baked some of her delicious dog treats and decided to donate the proceeds but Julie didn’t have to give to PDF - there was no special event or fundraiser that took place. And, there are plenty of amazing non-profit organizations in our community doing wonderful things to choose from. 

What a blessing - she chose us! She gave to PDF because she believes in our mission to support service dogs, therapy dogs, K-9 search and rescue and all dogs working to help people in need. She wanted to help us spread the word about all the incredible work dogs do, and the amazing ways they are giving back to their best friends. She gave because as one of Planet Dog's first employees, she wanted to give back to the team that she believes showed her how to give back.

There is something else very significant about this donation.  Last Friday, December 14^th, Julie was making the treats she sold to make the money she gave to PDF. She was listening to the radio and the news about what happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School was announced. Like so many of us, this tragedy overwhelmed Julie.

All those beautiful people who lost their lives were being described as Angels…very special, glorious angels. The $520 that Julie donated to PDF represents $20.00 for each one of those precious angels that lost their lives at Sandy Hook last Friday. While thinking about those angels, Julie started to think about the angels in her life.

She came up with 26 people in her life that she considers her special angels – Planet Dog being one of them. There is nothing - and I mean nothing - more humbling, more special, and more gratifying to know that you were able to affect someone so positively in this world.  What Julie doesn’t know is that we feel the exact same way about her.

I am sure like so many of you in the wake of this tragedy and others, and at this special time of year, you have been doing a lot of reflecting on your own lives - the kind of person you want to be, the kind of lessons you want to teach your children, the type of people that you want and want your children to be surrounded by.

We all have angels that have been there to support us in our personal lives and our professional lives, that are humans or animals and that are still with us, or in our hearts. I have many, many angels that I am so thankful for. I hope they know that I, Planet Dog and the Planet Dog Foundation wouldn’t be here without them, their love, their support and their belief in all we do.

To Julie and all of her angels and our angels and your angels, we wish you a holiday filled with peace, love and joy and thank you for supporting us, helping us, looking over us and guiding us."

Stephie

Running with a Pirate

Greetings! Please enjoy this post from our guest blogger, Jim Williams, the Manager of the Planet Dog Company Store here in Portland, ME.

I have been a runner for over 30 years. Originally, I am a “flatlander” from Ohio, and way back then I used to daydream about living along the Maine coast. In the vision I had, I would be out for my daily run along Maine’s rocky coast, running past lighthouses and lobster traps, watching the waves crash along the shore. And in that vision, I always pictured a Black Labrador Retriever running by my side.

Well, 20 years ago, I followed that dream. I quit my job in Ohio, moved to Maine and have been running on these beaches ever since. And yes, sure enough, I’ve had a Black Lab romping along beside me. First, it was "Mattie" for 11 years. And, for the last 7 years, it has been my buddy "Pirate".

Taking Pirate for a run is a great way for both of us to get our daily exercise. We do run on the beaches along the coast, but one of our favorite runs is in the woods. We are fortunate to live in a town that has wooded preservation land with an extensive trail system. Dogs are allowed and can be off leash. The land has a large pond and small streams and is quite beautiful year round. We often meet other people and other dogs enjoying the scenery, but sometimes we can run for an hour and not encounter a soul.

Pirate has his routine there. At a certain point he begins to look for a good stick in anticipation of what he knows is coming. As we get close to the end of the run we always stop at a little waterfall, which creates a shallow pool. There, Pirate’s true passion as a Retriever comes into play as I throw the stick in the water for him 12 times. Always exactly 12 times. If I throw it fewer times, he looks at me dumbfounded. I swear the dog can count. Then we finish our run – it always feels great to work up a good sweat.

I love running and I love my dog. To be able to combine those passions is simply the best. This past weekend Planet Dog helped sponsor the 3^rd Annual Bayside Trail 5K Road Race in Portland, Maine. The run supports the Bayside Trail, which is a new city trail in Portland used by walkers and runners and bikers. This urban, multi-use trail passes the Planet Dog Company Store where I work.  

The race is the only run in town where dogs can run with their owners. It was great fun --- this year there were about 150 runners and about 75 dogs. We had a crisp sunny fall morning, which was perfect running weather. Pirate and I were the course “sweepers” – we ran behind just to make sure all the runners got to the finish line OK. Our goal was to be the last runner, which isn’t as easy as it sounds. It was hard to hold Pirate back. I think he wanted to win.

While running with Pirate I sometimes think back to the daydreams I had 30 years ago and realize that I am living the dream I had way back then. I have to pinch myself from time to time. I live in a postcard called Maine. I don’t take it for granted, and I don't think Pirate does either.

Enjoying autumn safely in Maine

Greetings, All- Please enjoy this post from our guest blogger, Jeff Kelly. JK (as we call him here at HQ) is the Operations and Distribution Manager at Planet Dog- he makes sure that all of our product goes out the door when it should, how it should and where it should! Thanks, JK!

"There is nowhere in the world I’d rather be this time of year than enjoying the natural beauty of autumn in my home state of Maine. Fall is my favorite time of year, and if you’re like me, there are always more outdoor activities I want to do than time to do them.

One of my favorite pursuits during this time of year is hunting. Although my two dogs, Brewster the Beagle and Brody the lab, are not trained hunting dogs, they make excellent outdoor companions to take along during a long trek through the woods where I hunt grouse.

Although they probably consider themselves the most fearsome chipmunk-hunters this side of the Mississippi, their track record (Chipmunks-1562, Dogs-0) has been the running joke at the dog park for some time. I try to refrain from giving them a hard time for their record, as long as they keep their mouths shut about my record of misses on birds.

No matter. Those long walks are something all three of us look forward to as the leaves drop from the trees. Taking my orange hat off the coatrack to my pups is the equivalent to Christmas morning for my two little girls.

My non-hunting friends often ask about how safe it is to be in the woods with their dogs while hunting season is in full swing. My answer is often two-fold: be aware, and use common sense. Due to the frantic pace of development and dwindling untouched open spaces, all outdoor enthusiasts are becoming more and more crowded into fewer natural places.

It’s as common for me to observe hikers, mountain bikers, bird watchers, and dog walkers while in the woods as it is for me to see deer, fox, or woodcock. As hunters, we need to avoid areas where others might be utilizing the same outdoor spaces, and give them room to enjoy their pursuits.

Likewise, when any of us outdoor enthusiasts bring our dogs into areas where we may encounter hunters, there are a few safety steps we can take. Be aware that most hunting activity happens near sunrise or sunset, and on Saturdays. Wear bright clothing other than white, try to stay on established trails, and make noise (I attach a small bell to my dog’s collars when in the woods, which may give the chipmunks and the birds a big advantage). Place a bright handkerchief or collar, preferably orange, around your dog’s neck. If you encounter hunters on foot, don’t hesitate to ask them where they will be located, and let them know your plans as well.

For me, the moral of the story is that there enough land for everyone to enjoy, even in the fall. And even when the chipmunks and the birds outsmart us, we still had a beautiful walk in the woods, and have earned our post-walk snooze by the fire."

Why We Call Dogs "Pets" - by Sarah Wilson

Greetings, Friends! Please enjoy this post from Planet Dog's most recent guest-blogger, Sarah Wilson.

Sarah has been a professional dog trainer for over 25 years and holds a Master’s degree in the human-animal bond. Her first book, published in 1992, has sold more than 360,000 copies. Seven more followed. Books of hers have been translated into Japanese, German, Italian, and Polish, and three have made Amazon’s Top 100 list. Her top-selling books are My Smart Puppy (book with a DVD included) and Childproofing Your Dog.

She has appeared on a variety of network and cable TV shows including PBS's Nature "Why We Love Cats and Dogs," Good Morning America, Nick Jr's A Pup Grows Up, Comcast, New England Cable News and has been quoted in/written form fo O Magazine, Parade, LA Times, Forbes.com, PBS.org, Amazon.com to name a few.

Most importantly, she LOVES dogs and she loves helping people communicate with them more easily.

For more information on Sarah Wilson please visit her at www.mysmartpuppy.com

And many huge thanks to Sarah for sharing her thoughts with us!

Why We Call Dogs “Pets” by Sarah Wilson

When I hug a much-loved friend or fondle Pip’s ears as she leans against me, I am reminded that we humans are hardwired to want to both touch and be touched. When we share loving touch with others, our bodies download calming, soothing,“feel good” hormones.

In real ways, we feel better when we touch more. The irony (and sadness) is that we live in a time of less and less touch between humans. When I was in grade school, my teacher could put a loving arm around me, pat me supportively on the shoulder, bear hug me hello every day.

Now many teachers have their hands legally tied from touching their students. As a culture, we have become so focused on the misuse of touch that we have forfeited many the essential benefits of them. And, whether conscious of the need or not, we crave contact.

The English language salutes the role of touch in ways we may not think about. Consider these uses:

• An emotionally charged moment is a touching one.
• Someone who is socially adept may handle things with a light touch.
• Haven’t spoken to someone lately then you may feel out of touch.
• Reaching out to someone is getting back in touch.

The importance of touch is one of the reasons dogs have excellent job security in our culture. We need them more now than we ever have. And, as human-to-human physical contact becomes both more regulated and less available to us in all stages of our life and as our lives, both work and private, become less about human contact and more about interacting with machines, the role of dogs will continue to expand and deepen.

Our dogs want our touch and, better yet, they obviously show their enjoyment of it with wagging tails, leaning bodies and tongue-lolling grins. They sleep with snouts resting on our arm or backs pressed against our legs or curled next to our beds where we can reach out to them if we wake - startled/lonely/frightened - in the night.

So is it any surprise that we honor this vital part of our relationship with our dogs by calling them “pets” - a word that also means loving touch. It is defined (in part) at dictionary.com as “to fondle or caress: to pet a dog.”

There is a move to change the word “pets” to “companion animals.” Personally, I use both terms. Personally, I do not find the word “pets” to be demeaning to the dog; rather I enjoy the linguistic celebration of one of the very things that brought them into our homes so many centuries ago: the ability to share loving, simple physical contact. And it is that trait that will keep them in our homes and lives now and forever in the future.

As long as human beings are human beings, we will stand with our dogs beside us in a profound cross species connection that has not precise equal.