Whether you love baseball or soccer there are games to watch through summer. Summer is a good time to do fun activities with your pets – but watch the heat! If you have an athletic dog – dock diving, fly ball and agility come to mind. If you have a shy dog or one that could use some exercise, beginning agility might be a good first step. While the days are longer, take advantage of the extra time and do some fun things with your pets. If you have cats, birds or bunnies, set up a “safe place” for them to come outside with you while you are gardening, sunning or just sipping iced tea. But for those really hot days, gather your furry or feathered companions around the TV, turn on a ball game and root for your favorite team.

Well, we made it through July, but it has been a long hot summer (starting back in June). Don’t let the heat get you down. There are still ways to enjoy the longer days.

• Go for walks early (morning is best)
• Stay hydrated (keep water bowls full and carry water with you)
• Take a drive and find a shady place to stop
• Use a wet cool wrap to place around your neck or drape over your dog
• Fill a container with water, toss in some treats and freeze – pop out the frozen treat for an outdoor refreshment for your pets

You may notice that most of the photos for this newsletter are bully breeds - It just-so-happened that I had several cute photos of these comical & loving dogs, and decided to use them all at once.

Training Tip:
Go back to basics: When you have a behavior from your pet that you would like to change, remember that you can’t train away from what you don’t want, but you can train toward what you do want. Choose a behavior that you would rather have and start training for it. The keys to successful training are repetition, reward and consistency. Remember that you need to reward within 1-2 seconds of the actual behavior and you need to use high value treats, something that your dog (cat, bird, etc.), will be motivated to work for and keep her interested. You want to engage the mind so that your animal companion is learning.

Quote
Properly trained, a man can be dog’s best friend – Corey Ford

A cat is there when you call her – if she doesn’t have something better to do – Bill Adler

Astrological Signs for May/June:

Cancer: Let me charm you with my big brown eyes. I’m hungry isn’t there a snack? No, let’s play. On second thought, I think I’ll go over here and chew on my bone.

Leo: I am Lion, hear me roar. I may be a little cat to you but I have a big heart. Don’t betray me for I may slink off in the dark of night.

Pepi is a gorgeous Rhodesian Ridgeback mix who, like many dogs, has anxiety about some things. Anxiety comes in many forms and the way we recognize it is through behavior such as vocalizations, hiding, change in eating/eliminating, etc. TTouch is a wonderful way to connect with your anxious companion and give him a new experience and build on that confidence. Pepi learned through a variety of tools that he can be “ok” and get through things that previously made him nervous, even the challenge of toenail trimming. His mom has done a great job with patience and TLC. And isn’t he just a gorgeous model – Mr. GQ! (photograph, courtesy of Christy B Photography).

Adho Mukha Vrkasana
Strengthen shoulders, arms & wrists
Stretches the belly
Improves sense of balance
Calms the brain & relieves stress

Anantasana
Improves balance & blood circulation
Stretches & tones legs
Helps relieve backaches

Crissy is a wonderful and loving girl who wants to be in your lap or just laying next to you. She loves to chase a laser light or the shadows in the backyard. Crissy is a special girl – she is deaf. It would be great if she could find a home with another dog to be her ears, and a family willing to learn a few basic hand signals to communicate with her. She doesn’t sign back but when she snuggles up next to you - you know exactly what she is saying. You may find out more about Crissy or any of her fellow Boxers at Midwest Boxer Rescue, www.midwestboxerrescues.com, whose mission is to find forever homes for these wonderful dogs. N2paws offers discounted services to transition Crissy to her new forever home (N2paws specializes in whole pet positive training and animals with special needs).

Upcoming Events for N2paws & other fun stuff

Aug 14 – Tails on the Trails, Lenexa, KS
Aug 21 & 22 – Midwest Kids Fest, Overland Park, KS
TBD (Sept) – Half-day, TTouch™ for Cats workshop, Liberty, MO
Sept 10-12, Dog Retreat, The Elms, Excelsior Springs, MO
Sept 13 – Oct 4 – Doga (Mondays, 6:30-7:30pm), OvPk, KS Announcements

Check out the new feature on the N2paws website (www.n2paws.com) – Training Tips. The Training Tips contain news clips from N2paws partnership with Dr. Hunthausen on the Pet Projects radio program. Watch for more to be added! Also – don’t forget to pick up a Tick Key® to stay on top of those summer pests!!!!!