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You are receiving this email because The Pet Concierge has taken care of your furry friends or you have made inquiry into quality pet care services. 

Thank you, Please!
Thank you.

Have you ever accidentally clocked your labradoodle as you both lurch in opposite directions and into each other at the exact same time?  Or have you ever accidentally punted your pug across the kitchen floor?  When these accidents happen, don't we all say, "I'm sorry!"  and don't our dogs know what that means?  Sure, they might give you that well-practiced extortion act of I can't really forgive you until you take the lid off those dog cookies one more time...but you know what I mean, by they know what we mean when we say, "I'm sorry."

  

Well, guess what?  "Please" and "thank you" also translate nicely into Dog and we rarely use them. I have started to incorporate sign language into my communication techniques (the rudimentary ones, not finger-spelling 'Mississippi' or anything like that...) and 'thank you' is one of my most frequently used (and appreciated, if I may say so!)  

 
ASL for 'thank you' is simple: place flat fingers against your lips and move it downwards (like you're blowing a kiss, but without the lip part). I always accompany it with a verbal 'thank you!'.  Think about it...dog, elephant, tiger and bear trainers have been using visual cues as commands for centuries.  Why not for 'thank you' too?

  

Try it.  Decide what your 'sign' is and use it.  Consistently.  See if your dog doesn't give you that look:  "Awwww, shucks!  She likes me!  She really likes me!" Then the next time you ask him to leave the cat poop where it belongs, he might be extra-motivated to comply because he knows his grand and extravagant good behavior might actually be acknowledged from the One-Who-Is-Always-Watching.

  

Dogs react even stronger to olfactory cues, but we haven't quite mastered how to generate smells into commands.  (It wouldn't be smell-a-vision, it would be...smell-a-command?  smell-a-manners?)  Perhaps that's the next frontier for Cesar Mlilan's dog product line.  Or, perhaps we've had it nailed from way back and didn't even know it.  "Thank you!  Good dog!  Here's a dirty sock!"




KONA
Hide the Valentine Chocolate.

Get the 411 on the dog dangers of chocolate.  VetDepot has a simple guide to understanding the health risks of chocolate and xylitol.  Check out this article for tips on recognizing toxicity symptoms should Fido get into the heart shaped box of sweets.

Clubhouse goes green with backyard makeover.
Dash, Lizzie & Sawyer

How about that good looking grass!  It's synthetic.  Really. No mowing, edging or fertilizers necessary. 16 water sprinklers decommissioned too.  EasyTurf artificial grass for dogs is non-toxic and hypoallergenic.  The MaxxFlow design allows for proper drainage and easy clean up.  Simply spray lightly with your favorite disinfectant ( I use a combination of white vinegar, simple green & water) and brush with a push broom.   So easy.  So eco-friendly. And the dogs love it. They roll, play and sunbathe on EasyTurf just like live grass, only better.  I have reduced my total water usage by 30%.  If you live in southern California, your local water agency may be offering rebates on turf replacement. Check out SoCal WaterSmart
to see if your yard qualifies.

Planning a week end getaway?  Book early to secure your space at the Club House.

Sincerely,

Melissa Roth
The Pet Concierge
Canine Club LA

Canine Club LA | | pet.concierge@yahoo.com |
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