cottage dog - winter 2011

Winter 2011Vol. 2, Issue 1

CosyCottageGoes to theDogs

Yourcottage dogWINTERIZEHow to Snow go...

Skijoring’sfun!

COMBATPost-traumaticDisorderStress

Dogs

Get free pet health advice and connect with your veterinarianFind and adopt the perfect pet for your homeKeep a secure log of your pets’ health recordsFind missing pets with the Lost & Found featureFind local veterinarians in your area

24

10

06 Bits & Bites

10 Snow Go...Dogs have a “Skijoring” good time

14 The Dog as Arf!

18 A Soldier’s New Best Friend

21 The Angels Among Us

24 The Ultimate Dog House

28 Pet Friendly Vacation Accomodations

InsideIssueThis

3230 Puparazzi:

A Dog’s Tale… Iago’s Day in High Park

32 How to Winterize Your Pooch

Publisher:K. L. Brooks

Editor:Bryan Dearsley

Contributing Writers:Vince GrittaniDr. Jason McLeod, DVMLori McFadyenKerry Vinson

CartoonistsVince GrittaniJerry King

Photo Credits:Kelly Hollinshead, Shutterbug (Cover)Scruffy Dog Photography Trish Aleve, Pawsome Pet PhotographyVince Grittani

Layout Artist:Craig Belanger

Ad inquiries:Brenda PatersonTel: 705-640-1054

[email protected]

Publisher Contact:Cottage Dog Publications1393 Brunel RoadHuntsville, ON P1H 2J3

Publication Agreement #:42035032

To subscribe visit us online at: www.CottageDog.com or send CDN $26.99 plus HST ($30.50 taxes in) to: Cottage Dog Publications1393 Brunel Road Huntsville, ON P1H 2J3

Reproduction of any part of this publication without expressed written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

Wow! It seems like only yesterday that we at CottageDog were wishing our readers all the very best for the festive season. And now here we are just a few weeks later sending you all our very best for a healthy and prosperous 2011!

Somehow, between wrapping and unwrapping gifts, eating, drinking (responsibly, of course!) and being merry, we managed to put together a heck of a good read for this our Winter 2011 issue, as well as introducing a number of exciting new initiatives to ensure our future growth. (You’ll hear more about these elsewhere in the magazine.)

Regular CottageDog contributor Dr. Jason McLeod decided he’d embrace winter and did us all a favour by trying his hand at the increasingly popular sport of skijoring – as Jason reveals, it’s the perfect way to get outdoors and get fit, whether you’ve got two legs or four. And for those of you concerned about how fido interacts with wildlife, Jason – along with some help from new CottageDog contributor and expert dog behaviourist Kerry Vinson – offers tips and tactics to keep things safe this winter.

Our regular coverage on working dogs takes us to Camp Borden, near Barrie, ON, where we meet the first of National Service Dogs’ skilled companion canines for Canadian soldiers diagnosed with long-term Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. A little further afield, we visit Canadian ex-pat Lori McFadyen in India and her touching tale of how two dogs – Jimmy and Sparky – taught a village to love.

To celebrate the launch of a new reader-service, Pet-Friendly Places – a unique listings service of pet-friendly holiday accommodations – our very own Mr. Puparazzi, Vince Grittani, profiles the ultimate dog house, a log rental cottage literally built with big dogs in mind. And be sure to check out Vince’s interview with doggy-portrait photographer Deborah Samuel.

Also, you’ll no doubt have noticed a new name on our masthead. Bryan Dearsley has been brought on board as CottageDog’s Editor to keep us all on a tighter leash…

Finally, be sure to visit us on-line at www.CottageDog.com, follow us on Facebook, keep on sending us those pictures and stories, and encourage your friends and family to subscribe!

Till next time…

Au ruff-oir!

K. L. Brooks

A Note fromthe Publisher...

Contributors

DR. JASON MCLEOD, DVMJason is a companion animal veterinarian and owns two animal hospitals in Muskoka. A graduate of the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College, he shares his love of Muskoka with his wife Megan, young son Marshall and a menagerie of pets. (algonquinanimalhospital.org or bracebridgeanimalhospital.org)

LORI MCFADYENA PhD student in anthropology with McGill University, Lori resides in India with her husband Kunwar. They live in the village of Sainji, in the foothills of the Indian Himalayas, where they run an English medium school. (www.kanhaiyahouse.ca)

KERRY VINSONKerry has authored over 60 articles on dog behaviour for veterinary publications and pet magazines in Canada, and has been designated an Expert Witness in assessing canine aggression, testifying in several high profile court cases. He has appeared nationally on Canada AM, CBC’s Doczone, The Outdoor Life Network and Discovery Channel, and lectures throughout Ontario. He lives in Toronto with his four dogs (three Ger-man Shepherds and a Caucasian Ovcharka).

VINCE GRITTANITelevision personality (Cottage Life and The Weekend Guy), playwright (Scenes From My Dock, Quiet! I’m Talking staring Loretta Swit, and Scenes From the 19th Hole), cartoonist and illustrator, TV and theatrical producer (Muskoka Theatre Project), writer and realtor, Vince does it all. First a camper, then a cottager, Vince is now a full-time resident of Muskoka with Iago, his fourth beloved Bearded Collie. (www.weekendguy.com)

JERRY KINGOne of North America’s most published cartoonists (he ranks Disney amongst his clients), Jerry’s cartoons appear in print and on websites across the globe. Starting out with a desire to be a boxer, he changed his mind after illustrating seven children’s books before graduating high school. Jerry has won countless awards, and two US presidents have recognized his cartoons. (www.jerryking.com)

KELLY HOLINSHEADKelly’s striking photography mirrors the diverse beauty of Muskoka. An avid traveler, she’s worked on numerous magazines throughout Canada and the US. Kelly’s passions include her supportive husband and family, her three loveable dogs, and the great outdoors. (www.kellytheshutterbug.com)

Enjoy 8 issues a year of Cottagedog for only CDN $26.99 plus HST ($30.50)

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BigwinIsland

Canine Culinary

+ WINDeerhurst

Getaways

Muskoka-Made

Bushsplash

July 2010

What to do with the Family

Cottage?

PAWSCottage Dogs

with Therapeutic

August/September 2010

ItchyDog Days

of Summer

Dog

PaddlingAlgonquin Parkin

Rosseau village,

Gone To The Dogs!The Road Ahead:

Life after Loss

October/November 2010

Bear Story:

TAILof a

charitablePiCATso!

Ignoring the signs!

Feathers Alive:new life

into an old artBreathing

Canine’s GuidetoSKIING

COLLINGWOOD

GINGERMemoriesof aChristmas

PUPARAZZIDOGCESAR

MILAN

UNCONDITIONAL

Sherman

Family Ties

LOVE:Strengths

December 2010Vol. 1 Issue 4

Winter 2011Vol. 2, Issue 1

CosyCottageGoes to theDogs

Yourcottage dogWINTERIZEHow to Snow go...

Skijoring’sfun!

COMBATPost-traumatic

DisorderStress

Dogs

Bits& Bites

News, events and other fun stuff happening around the country...

What’s in a name?Ever wondered how your pooch’s name

stacks up? Well, wonder no more. The folks at

Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (VPI), the largest

provider of pet health insurance in the US,

recently published their list of the top 10 dog

names of 2010.

Call it the Twilight effect, but for the second

year straight, Bella retained its position as

the most popular name, followed (in order of

popularity) by Bailey, Max, Lucy, Molly, Buddy,

Maggie, Daisy, Charlie and Sophie… all of

them, perhaps surprisingly, human names.

And what of the classic dog names of

yesteryear? Sadly, the classics didn’t do so well.

But although the survey only turned up a paltry

13 Fidos, it still proved more popular than some

of the more eccentric names that appeared at

the bottom of the list… try hollering “Pickle

Von Corndog” at the top of your voice from

the cottage porch and see what happens.

Back to school with the OSPCAAlthough exact details were sparse as of press time, be sure to keep an eye on the media for news regarding the OSPCA’s new Educational Center in Newmarket. Scheduled for a February launch, the Centre will be open to the public, so be sure to pop in and take a tour (just tell them CottageDog sent you!).

We love a clean cottage dog!Your cottage dog is going to love our first foray into the dog-care business. Coming soon to retail outlets near you is our exclusive line of Cottage Dog Soaps, made from all-natural ingredients guaranteed to leave your pooch smelling country-fresh.

Not only are our soaps dog-friendly, they’re also environmentally friendly, too. All soaps are made from biodegradable ingredients, ensuring they’re perfect for use in the lake.

Designed especially to suit the pH levels of your dog’s coat, our soaps are made especially for us in the community in India featured in this issue’s heartwarming story by Lori McFadyen (see her story, Angels Among Us: How two dogs taught a village to love, on page 21). Made from the milk of specially raised goats and containing pure essential oils, Cottage Dog Soaps has been established to provide much needed employment in this region of India. So every time you bathe your pooch, you’ll know you’re doing your bit to make our world a better place to live.Stay tuned to www.CottageDog.com for further details…

- 6 - CottageDog - Winter 2011

The doggy-do detectives…The next time you’re tempted to leave your canine friend’s deposit where he placed it, watch out… the poo-police might be onto you! While of course not a problem for cottage dogs, it seems when in the city our dogs may not always be as welcome as we’d like to think... especially when it comes to what they leave behind. It’s a topic people are passionate about, and usually not the dog lovers. Little wonder, then, that Consumer Reports listed “dog poop” as number six on its list of reader’s top gripes in 2010 – just below “unreliable internet service” but, oddly enough, higher than “incomprehensible bills.”

According to BioPet Vet Lab, an industry leader in DNA-related pet services – including (don’t laugh), PooPrints – in the US alone, some 73 million dogs generate approximately 6.3 billion pounds of waste annually… yes, we did say billion! And, it would seem, approximately 40% – a whopping 2.5 billion pounds of the stuff – is never picked up. So, what’s PooPrints? Think of CSI, but a lot less glamorous. Participating communities are provided with a DNA-collection kit and gather samples from local dogs. Back in the lab, samples are cross-referenced with any deposits left unaccounted for in public parks, etc. Then, big brother comes knocking…

It all adds up to another great reason to spend more time at the cottage (all that bush is doggy-do heaven) where you don’t have to clean up after Fido… erm, Bella.

Dog of the Month: Molly, our hero…Who could possibly deny the fact that canines were put on this earth for a reason? Certainly not Gary and Paula Owen, of Calgary. Their five-year old black and tan Miniature Pincher, Molly, isn’t just adorable… the wee pooch is a life saver!

Here’s what we know: One recent winter’s evening while the couple were reading in bed, their bedside lamps suddenly flickered and went dark. While Gary stomped around “uttering dark oaths”, Paula noticed Molly staring intently down the hallway and barking. Upon investigation, she found an electrical outlet sparking. The attending electrician called in to fix the problem noted that Molly not only may have seen and heard the sparks, she possibly smelled the accompanying ozone… so not only did Molly save her family, she likely saved the house from burning down.

So here’s to Molly, CottageDog’s dog of the month: good girl!

We’re thrilled to kick-off our very first CottageDog Canine Cartoon Caption Contest (try saying that quickly!) with a fantastic giveaway from Bark & Fitz Inc. (www.barkandfitz.com), Canada’s leading health food store for dogs.

All you have to do for your chance to win this wonderful hand-painted double feeder (retail value $200) is send along your suggestion for a caption to this cartoon by Jerry King. Our editorial team will select the best entry as our main prizewinner, along with two runner-ups who’ll each receive a $50 Bark & Fitz gift card.

To enter, email your entry (including your name, address and phone number) to [email protected]

Bits& Bites

Caption Contest

1036 South Monck DriveBracebridge, Ontario P1L 1W8

(2 km west of Tim Hortons in Bracebridge)705 646-1060

[email protected]/cottagedog

Proud to be a pet friendly Golf Course

MukokaHighlandsGolf_1-6.indd 1 11-01-18 8:40 PM


Give a little love…Never mind the chocolate… tell your sweetheart you’re going to help an animal in need this Valentines instead. Since its launch in 2007, the annual Show Us Your Heart campaign – an initiative of Global Pet Foods and Hill’s Science Diet – has raised over $150,000 for animal shelters across Canada.“Show Us Your Heart is unique because our store owners each select a local shelter or rescue group to support,” says Global Pet Foods President Jim Walker. “When you donate a dollar, you’re making a real difference to homeless pets in your community.”

Donations can be as little as a $1, and Global Pet Foods and Hill’s Science Diet will match your generosity. To donate, visit any Global Pet Foods store from Feb. 12-19, or visit www.facebook.com/globalpetfoods

Life, let’s face it, is better when you’re part of a community. And when that community revolves around dogs, it’s better still. As our community of dog-lovers grows, CottageDog wants to encourage each and every one of you to join us in our efforts to give a little something back to our fantastic, furry, four-legged friends. To launch our own giving efforts,

and to provide an avenue for our readers to participate, we’re thrilled to announce details of a unique new fundraising event being launched this spring.

Our first-ever ‘Plan Your Dog Days of Summer’ is scheduled to take place early in May in Toronto, ON. Just in time for our 1st anniversary! – It will:

• Showcase the best of Canada’s pet-friendly resorts, hotels, B&Bs and cottage rental companies, all under one roof, helping visitors with their vacation planning, while providing businesses an ideal opportunity to showcase their offerings;

• Raise funds and awareness for se-lect dog-related charities, including the OSPCA, Dog Guides of Canada, National Service Dogs, and Tigger House (an exciting group featured in our next issue) and more;

• Provide a fun, entertaining and edu-cational opportunity for dog-lovers from across the country – the pub-lic, professionals and industry play-ers – to join together in a celebra-tion of all things canine!

To ensure the event’s success, we’ve teamed up with some of the big names in the pet industry, as well as leading accommodations providers, to put on a show you simply won’t forget! En-tertainment already lined up includes stage-plays and music, food tasting and demonstrations, as well as numer-ous pet-related seminars and sessions.

You’ll also have the opportunity to meet members of the fantastic CottageDog fundraising team, shown here dressed as vets in our MASH-themed cartoon. To learn more, email us at [email protected] or visit our website (www.CottageDog.com) for regu-lar updates regarding what promises to become Canada’s most exciting event for dogs and the families that love them!

‘Plan Your Dog Days of Summer’Exciting fundraiser to benefit animal charities

CottageDog - Winter 2011 - 9 -

Most people find it easy to exercise with their dogs when the weather’s fine. But as soon as the snow flies and the crisp chill of winter settles

in, that’s it…. we become couch potatoes. Yet while many of us only think about staying active when it’s cold out, there’s a growing number of people looking for more to do than simply sauntering along snow covered roads hoping the dogs will turn tail and head home just so they can sit down to a hearty bowl of chili.

People like Matt Todd and Kristi MacDonald, for ex-ample. Owners of The Bike Shop in Gravenhurst, both are very keen outdoor enthusiasts who, coincidentally, hap-pen to own Siberian huskies. For those who didn’t know it, Siberians are one of a small number of dog breeds that, for the most part, will forego food for exercise. Most people associate Siberian huskies with dog sledding and rightfully so – their heritage is rooted in it. After genera-tions of breeding a more powerful, compact and enduring

athletic dog, the desire to pull and run is hard wired in them.

Matt has had many Siberian huskies and spent years leading thrill-seekers on dog sledding adventures at re-sorts such as Deerhurst. However, due to our changing climate, many dog sled adventure businesses, including Matt’s, found it difficult to continue operating. Trail qual-ity had become questionable, and even the health of his dogs was a concern as they could quickly over exert them-selves in warmer winter weather due to the pace they set. And a Siberian husky without plentiful exercise is like a fidgety kid.

It was a combination of their love of the great outdoors and the need to find something to keep their three re-maining Siberians active that led Matt and Kristi to join a group of friends already turned on to skijoring. Ski-what? Skijoring – simply put, it’s like dog sledding but on cross-

SnowGo...Dogs have a “Skijoring”

good timeby Dr. Jason McLeod


country skis. Not only is it a great way to exercise your dog during the winter, it’s also a good workout for we humans.

An introduction to skijoring

Dan Christian, an engineer that spends far too much time warming his office chair with his derrière, has spent most of his adult life doting on his dogs. As a past com-petitive triathlete and an avid cross-country skier, skijor-ing offered a perfect opportunity to get his aging Siberian husky out for a regular high-intensity workout.

With a growing interest in learning more about the sport, I joined Dan, Matt and Kristi to try my hand at skijoring. Our day didn’t start out quite as we’d hoped. The previous 24 hours had seen Mother Nature besiege our region with 40cm of snow before dropping the tem-perature to -15C (-25C with the wind chill). Sounds great

for skijoring, but it led to my arrival being delayed due to my having to help a frustrated young family get their car out of the ditch.

As I arrived at our embarkation site in Muskoka, I was already frozen stiff, as were my friends patiently awaiting my arrival. The dogs, however, didn’t care about the frig-id conditions – they were in their element, howling and frisky with excitement. As Matt, Kristi and Dan wrestled with their eager dogs, I danced around frantically trying

“Siberians are one of a small

number of dog breeds that, for

the most part, will forego food

for exercise.”


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to get the circulation back to my lower extremities. It took just a few minutes to educate me about the commands needed to guide the dogs, as well as proper skijoring eti-quette, and then we were off!

Skijoring, as I soon found out, is a straightforward recipe for fun that anyone can get involved in. All that’s required is a fairly simple harness for the dogs, a freely moving belt arrangement with a surprisingly comfortable fit secured around the waist, a pair of cross country skis and poles… and a marginal amount of coordination. Al-though I hadn’t cross-country skied in over two decades I quickly managed – with only a single snow-in-your-face, bum-over-tea-kettle wipeout – to recall the technique required to stand upright without confusing my more than willing four-legged companion. After another few minutes of awkward, tense full-body effort to get into the groove, I was smoothly in tune with “Yukon” as we sailed along the trail with a rhythm worthy of an ivy league row-ing team’s coxswain.

Fun for large breeds

I was surprised to learn that skijoring has been around a long time. In some countries, such as Norway, reindeer are sometimes used due to their muscle power. Perhaps

even more interesting is that almost any breed of dog over 15kg can get involved. Other dog breeds seen skijoring in cottage country include Duck-Tolling Retrievers, German Shepherds and the ever-popular cottage dog, the Golden Retriever.

“With very little effort, almost any dog can enjoy skijor-ing,” Matt told me after our outing. “Most dogs are social and are really keen to run with other dogs. Guiding the dogs isn’t difficult, especially if you have a lead dog that knows the commands and can set the pace and direction.”

Skijoring is gaining in popularity for many reasons. For people like Dan, Matt and Kristi, it’s a way to enjoy the great outdoors in winter with little start-up cost. It’s also a great way for both dogs and their two-legged tag-alongs to burn calories. Another great thing is that it can be done almost anywhere. In fact, in Muskoka, Matt and another friend, Lowell Grieb, have spearheaded efforts to get a regular group together at Arrowhead Provincial Park. Initially, opponents to skijoring tended to be those concerned with cross-country trails being ruined by dogs running on the groomed trails (or perhaps by doing other things). These opponents quickly realized the trails are minimally impacted. In fact, it’s people like me, caught gazing at the tranquil scenery and crashing to the ground after catching a ski tip, that undoubtedly cause more damage.

And despite the very cool breeze, the frigid core body temperature at the initiation of the run and the constant rain of snow flakes on my face, I quickly warmed up and felt great for getting outside and getting some exercise. I also realized this is as awesome a sport as I have ever par-ticipated in. Beautiful scenery, some wildlife (a few deer fortunately not spotted by the dogs), excellent cardio ex-ercise and, perhaps above all else, seeing the dogs burn off energy with such obvious enthusiasm… what a great day!

And yes, in the end, we did go home for a bowl of chili, too… but we earned it!

Getting StartedSo, how do you get involved in skijoring? All

it takes is a pair of cross country skis and poles, a very willing and enthusiastic dog (or two), a harness for both you and the dog(s), a minimal amount of coordination… and a little modesty to handle the falls you’ll inevitably take.

Because the sport is only just gaining momen-tum, an Internet search can aid you in finding others in your region to help you get started. In Muskoka, the Bike Shop sells harnesses for your dog for $40, and a comfy harness for yourself for $56. They also have an array of cross coun-try skis and boots. The Bike Shop’s Matt Todd is available for individual or group lessons, and has arranged the following designated times for skijoring adventures (open to all) at Arrowhead Provincial Park: Jan. 16th, Feb. 6th, Mar. 13th, Apr. 3rd.

Algonquin Provincial Park also allows skijor-ing on some trails. Check with local authorities in your region for regulations, and check out web-sites such as www.skidogs.ca, www.skijoring.com and www.skijornow.com for more information.

W hen I first met Deborah Samuel in To-ronto over 30 years ago, she had recently

graduated from Sheridan College and was working as a photographer’s assistant. Truth be known, she scared the heck out of me. She always appeared to exude this underlying tension, sometimes to the point that I felt she was going to slug me at any given moment. In fact, one friend nicknamed her Debo-rah “Slam”uel. I quickly learned she was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Her intense mannerism was and is her genius.

Deborah’s controlled use of reflective and lumines-cent light was the basis of the photographic brand that eventually won her international commercial advertising accounts and magazine editorials. Her images have graced the pages of GQ, Esquire and Rolling Stone and have enhanced album covers of rock stars like Alannah Myles and Rush. Today, her

photos are found in many private and museum col-lections throughout the world.

I hadn’t seen Deborah in years until one day when I saw her name on someone’s Facebook friends list. I contacted her to say hello. She was now living in New Mexico with her husband and a menagerie of dogs. Of course, what interested me most was the knowledge she was a dog aficionada. In fact, not only does she love canines, but they were the sub-ject of two incredible collections found in her books, the appropriately titled Dog and Pup (published by Chronicle Books).

Loyal to her artistic brand and genius, these ca-nine images are true Deborah. The photos are not typical of the type found on a calendar from your lo-cal insurance agent, but rather should – and many do – hang in art galleries and private collections. A

the DOG AS ARTS ARF!By Vince Grittani

Photo

grap

hy by D

ebo

rah Samuel ©

2001/2002


combination of extreme close-ups of doggy parts as well as full body images, it’s as if you can read the subject dog’s mind and what they are saying. Some have the attitude and stature of a high fashion mod-el, while others look almost as if they were caught in the act by the “puparazzi”. All of them, however, are expressions of her love for man’s best friend.

Cottage Dog: When photographing dogs, do you give directions to them or do you just let them go wild and wait for the moment?

Deborah Samuel: Every breed is different. They generally present themselves to you. As much as I set them up I do so to let them do what they want. A big part of it is waiting for the right moment.

CD: Have you ever asked them to make love to the camera?

DS: No.

CD: What about the flash? Don’t dogs run off and hide?


DS: No, they don’t. They kind of need their space. They’re like humans. There’s all types.

CD: Children, rock stars or pups. Which is easier to work with?

DS: Pups.

CD: You seem to photograph mostly purebreds. Is there a reason for this?

DS: That’s a misconception. I work equally with mix breeds. But I learn personality with purebreds then identify those traits in mix breeds. I just never did a mix breed book.

CD: Is there a breed that you have not yet photo-graphed but would like to? And why?

DS: Oh boy… I always wanted to shoot a show clipped poodle. They are so sculptural. Art in mo-tion. And the hairless American terrier. They fasci-nate me, these dogs.

CD: It’s been said that dogs have the mentality of a three-year old child. Do you agree with this?

DS: No. It depends on the breed. Dogs are more in-telligent. I think their sense of loyalty and devotion is much more developed than that of a three-year old child.

CD: I swear my dog Iago knows when a camera is pointed at him. Do you think there’s any truth to this or is it my imagination?

DS: No, it’s not your imagination. I had a boxer called Jake. He’s in the book. When I put him up on the platform to shoot, he would ham to the camera and change positions like a pro.

CD: Is there a single tip you can give when photo-graphing dogs?

DS: I think the best tip is to find what motivates them. My thing when I started this dog book was to find the emotional differences of breeds. For a Jack Russell it’s food. Greyhounds are motivated by lures… like a cat lure. For Terriers, it’s squeaky toys.

CD: What is the biggest lesson your own dogs have taught you?

DS: How to love unconditionally.

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P ost-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a tragic but increasingly common problem, particularly amongst members of the Ca-

nadian military who’ve served overseas in war-torn countries such as Afghanistan. PTSD is a psychologi-cal response to intense traumatic events, principally those that threaten life. It can affect people of any age, culture or gender, and can be seen as part of a normal human response to intense experiences.

In the majority of cases, the symptoms of PTSD reduce or disappear over the first few months, par-ticularly with the help of caring family members and friends. But in a significant minority, however, the symptoms do not resolve quickly, and in some cases may continue to cause problems for the rest of the person’s life.

Readers of CottageDog will be interested to learn that help of the four-legged kind is now available. In 1996, a registered charity called National Service Dogs (NSD) introduced a unique service dog pro-gram for autistic children, a model now used around the world. Building upon this success, National Ser-vice Dogs is now expanding its services to include skilled companion dogs for Canadian Soldiers diag-nosed with long-term PTSD.

Symptoms of PTSD

PTSD is characterized by three main groups of problems which can be classified under the head-ings of intrusive, avoidance and arousal symptoms. Intrusive symptoms include distressing memories or images of the incident, nightmares and flashbacks, as well as physical symptoms such as sweating, in-creased heart rate, or muscle tension. In such cases, skilled companion dogs are trained to nudge the in-dividual, providing a tactile distraction from symp-toms, and have proven to be useful in emotional overload situations. In addition, for those experienc-ing nightmares, night terrors, hypnologic hallucina-

A soldier’s newNational Service Dogs launch Post-traumatic Stress Disorder service

best friend...


tions or flashbacks, tactile stimulation can provide a vi-tally important reality affirmation. Massaging the dog can also reduce physical symptoms.

Symptoms associated with avoidance include trying to avoid reminders of the trauma, gaps in memory, losing interest in normal activities of daily living, feeling cut-off or detached from loved ones, feeling flat or numb, and dif-ficulty imagining a future. Skilled companion dogs work well in such cases as they are non-judgmental and provide calm, consistent companionship, are active, and require

daily care and training to maintain their skills. Taking care of the dog’s daily needs brings routine back into a veteran’s life, providing a reason to get out of the house and engage in activities of daily living.

Arousal symptoms include anger and irritability, con-centration problems and constant checking for signs of danger, and sufferers are jumpy and easily startled.

Skilled companion dogs provide important feedback to individuals suffering from these types of symptoms


by helping them gauge the safety of their surroundings, and are trained to make them feel more secure in their environment. For example, the dogs are trained to stand perpendicularly in front of the veteran – known as block-ing – to keep other people at a distance, ensuring the personal space needed to feel secure. The dogs are also taught to cover, facing backward by the veteran’s side to alert them to people approaching from behind. The dogs are also taught a search command, which involves them searching the house to ensure it’s safe, thereby decreasing anxiety when feeling nervous or recovering from a night-mare or flashback.

The calming effect that animals have on people is well known, and anecdotal reports suggest that skilled com-panion dogs can speed recovery from PTSD, reducing re-liance on medication. And it’s well known that children with autism who utilize service dogs tend to be calmer when with their dogs and transition into new environ-ments better, demonstrating an increase in confidence. Skilled companion dogs can provide the same support for veterans suffering from PTSD.

For more information regarding NSD’s Skilled Com-panion Dog program, www.nsd.on.ca.


“Hi Jimmy! Hi Sparky!” That’s what our little students say on their way to school as they pass the graves of our beloved pets. And ev-

ery time I hear those little voices crying out to our furry friends, I get a lump in my throat.

A Canadian married to an Indian, I live in a small tribal village in the foothills of the Indian Himalayas. The peo-ple here are extremely poor, and the entire region lacks most basic amenities. Malnutrition and related illnesses are endemic, and the locals do their best to carve a meager living by farming on the steep mountain slopes.

The education system is so abysmal here that virtually all students completing Grade 12 cannot get into universi-ties, ending up as lowly paid workers in hotels or restau-rants, or breaking rocks on the side of the road. So my husband and I opened an English medium school last year as a means to provide children in our area with an excellent education and the tools to carve out a better life for themselves.

What does all this have to do with Jimmy and Sparky? Well, dogs are not considered pets here, but as dirty beasts whose only value is to guard the family’s crops for a short period every year. The rest of the time they fend for themselves, feeding off human excrement and waste foods. When they cross the path of a human, they’re usu-ally kicked or beaten. As a result, my husband and I were constantly treating people – mostly children – for dog bites.

Meeting our new friends

Last January, just after opening our school, our nephew brought a small puppy to the village. He abandoned her when he realized she wasn’t male, so my husband, Kun-war, and I began to care for her. She was barely six weeks old, both ears seemed to bend in the same direction, and she had the sweetest face. We bathed her, bought her food and took her to the vet for her shots. The villagers laughed at us. I guess we seemed eccentric, lavishing such atten-tion on a dog.

The AngelsAmong Us

How two dogs taught a village to love

By Lori McFadyen


We even took her to school. At first, the children kicked her and hit her with sticks. Many come from abusive families where hitting is a means of expressing anger and frustration. We wanted to change this, and teaching them how to care for a puppy seemed a good way to start. We quickly forbade the children from hitting, and taught them that by treating a dog or any animal with love, they’d be loved back. We invited the children to help bathe and feed Sparky, and showed them how to play with her. Soon, they clamored to be the lucky one who would take her to school.

Shortly after Sparky entered our lives, Jimmy arrived. Jimmy was a Bhotiya, a breed indigenous to the upper Himalayas and known as excellent goat herders. When we got him his head was as big as his body, and he was so docile we worried something was wrong with him. But the vet assured us this was the nature of the breed.

Now we had two constant companions at school, and the changes in the children’s behaviour toward them was wonderful to witness. However, as Sparky grew her boundless energy overwhelmed us. On Independence day, when the children marched down the road, she stole

the flags out of the hands of two of our nursery children and led the procession, flags in tow.

Jimmy, on the other hand, moved slowly and never got excited. Yet he was always with the children, and it was clear he considered himself their protector. If another dog or a stranger came near he would spring into action, barking and growling until the animal disappeared or the stranger was acknowledged by someone known to him. He endured the tugs on his tail, the fingers in his eyes, nose, and mouth, and the little bodies rolling on top of him. Jimmy took it all in stride.

A special kind of magic

Both puppies continued to work their magic on the chil-dren, who soon became advocates for treating animals with love and care. There were by now new puppies in the village and the children tried caring for them, too, while teaching others to do likewise. It seems to be working be-cause the new dogs in the village are not aggressive. While we were still sometimes taunted for treating our dogs like humans, we noticed villagers giving our dogs meat bones, or left over bread from their meal – a practice unheard of in the past.

Then, one day, Jimmy wouldn’t come to school with us. He followed me a few yards and then sat down. We noticed he wasn’t eating and seemed more lethargic than normal. We took him to the vet and were given some anti-biotics for what was thought to be an intestinal infection, but they didn’t help. He grew weaker and weaker until he had to be fed antibiotics and fluids intravenously.

I came home from school one day knowing this was the end. Kunwar went into town for medicine to put him to sleep, and I stayed with him, stroking his big furry head. One by one the children gathered around. I told them Jimmy wasn’t going to be with us much longer, and they should say their goodbyes. We all cried and told him how much we loved him, and then I told him that he had done his work and should go so he would have no more pain. So my furry little friend closed his eyes and took his last breath with my hand resting on his big floppy ear, and with all his little friends standing close.

All the while Sparky never once looked at Jimmy. But that night when Kunwar and his nephew took Jimmy away, she howled the most mournful howl. Over the next few days Sparky seemed to take on some of Jimmy’s per-sonality. When she came to school, rather than run in and


out of classrooms, getting into the garbage, stealing eras-ers, pencils and shoes as she normally did, she took Jim-my’s place by my feet. She became protective of the small children, watching over them as they walked home. She became quiet, calm, and so very, very loving. Sometimes I found her staring at me as if to say, “Hey, I miss him too, and will do my best to fill his spot in your heart.”

Leaving a legacy of love

More importantly, she befriended Aman, a boy con-stantly tormented by his father’s drunken rages. Aman struggled in school until his bond with Sparky built up his confidence to a point where he could keep up with his co-horts. It was a beautiful friendship, and I watched Aman change from being surly and guarded into a more com-passionate, gentle boy.

Then we learned Sparky was going to have puppies. As her pregnancy developed, she began to move more slowly and soon stopped coming to school altogether – the climb up the mountain was just too much for her. Just as with

Jimmy, there came a day when she simply sat down as

if to say, “Sorry, no school today.” And she never came

again.

One night soon after, she seemed distressed, but Kun-

war and I were too busy to pay much attention to her. We

had to travel the next day, and when we returned were

horrified to learn Sparky had died in labour. My heart

ached when I found her so cold and still. I cried and cried

as I felt I had failed her – she came asking for help and we

were too busy to see her distress.

I believe there are angels in this world and that they

come in all shapes and sizes. I believe many of these an-

gels take the form of animals sent to us to teach us. Jim-

my and Sparky were angels, and in their short time on

earth they taught an entire village how to care for our four

legged friends with love and patience. I look around the

village and I rarely see anyone kick or hit their animals

anymore.


F or most, the thought of waking up to 19 be-

low zero temperatures surrounded by three

feet of snow is not a welcoming idea. How-

ever, waking up in a log cabin with a roaring fire and a

160lb dog to curl up to sounds a bit more appealing. It’s

the latter that has made Dave Kelso and Rosalind Mills’

Muskoka cottage one of the most popular winter cottage

rentals through Vacation Time Real Estate.

The cottage in question is located on a lakeside prop-erty purchased by Dave years before he met and married his wife Ros, before Jack their son was born, and even before their dog of choice, the mighty Leonberger, was a recognized breed. Considering that none of the humans in question are large in stature it seems appropriate that this cottage made of massive 18 to 24 inch thick logs be counterbalanced by Strider, their six-year-old working breed dog.

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LAKE OF BAYS $1,599,900 215' frontage, double-slip boat-house w/1,000+ sq. ft sun deck & 4,100 sq. ft cottage w/spectacular wide open lake views! Dbl car garage, hot tub,extensive decking, 2 stone fireplaces & spacious lwr lvl.

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The

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The cottage itself was no easy structure to build. The steep driveway down to the chosen building site made bringing in the oversized logs a rather challenging task. In fact, the truck hauling them down did get stuck so it was a matter of securing another truck with a crane to transfer the logs. Anyone who has built a cottage from the ground up will know that it’s rare to have the project pro-ceed without a glitch. Custom made windows arrived the wrong size and craftsmen were delayed – all part of the usual rituals when building a dream home.

However, in the end it was all worth it. Nearly six years since completion, the Kelso-Mills’ home is now a magnifi-cent four-bedroom, two-bathroom structure. And, as with any new log home of this size, you can still hear the odd crack or creak as it settles.

Bringing the outdoors indoors

Dave, an advertising creative director, designed the place so that walls were used only when necessary. Space is celebrated and featured from the moment one enters the living room through the massive oak entrance door. (A door, by the way, so heavy that only a dog of Strider’s strength can open it with a nudge of his oversized paw.)

The living room is decorated with equally appropriate furniture, large overstuffed leather couches positioned to focus on a floor to ceiling hand-crafted fireplace made by a local mason using rounded river rock. On the other side of the room, the main working area of the kitchen hides behind an eating bar and is finished with earthy touches such as dark granite countertops and wrought iron fix-

tures, and looks into the main living area so that the cook is always included. Through a large archway one enters the rear of the building to find the perfectly positioned dining room overlooking the lake.

In keeping with his creative background and eye for balance, Dave has followed the golden rule of any well-designed retreat: a cottage celebrates the outdoors and whenever possible one should try to bring the outside in-side. Unlike many log homes that tend to feel dark and solemn, Dave has included large windows so that light is

allowed to penetrate the rooms – all it takes is a glance

outside to remind you of the fact you’re indeed in the

woods. Great views of the lake, large trees and enormous

rock cliffs do away with the need to hang pictures on the

wall.

The ultimate big-dog house

Another very dominant focal point that reduces the

need for excessive decorative finishes is the exquisite

staircase. A work of true art and craft, each step is a half

log hand-cut through the middle exuding a power and

strength complimentary to the overall design of the home.

Like the cottage he protects, Strider, is a mass of muscle

and strength. Although the breed extends back to 19th

century Germany, Leonbergers were only recently of-

ficially accepted and allowed to compete as a working

breed by both the Canadian and American Kennel Clubs.

Often referred to as having a head resembling a lion, cot-

tagers will agree that their dark masked face resembles

an animal closer to home, the black bear. A combination

of St. Bernard, Newfoundland and Great Pyrenees, these

gentle giants can rule a home, but not with aggressive or

domineering behaviour, but rather their need to force

their way through a crowd in order to get their fair share

of hugs. A full size adult male can stand at eye level to a

child of five or six.

One only has to ask three-year-old Jack, who has known

Strider his entire life, what wonderful friends Leonberg-

ers can be. However, his mom Ros extends a warning to

anyone considering the breed. The Newfoundland in him

is very apparent for even though Strider can be cumber-

some on land, he’s a regular Mark Tewksbury down at the

lake, always jumping in and trying to rescue anyone who

dares to dive off the dock.

If ever there was a case of the best breed matching a

particular lifestyle, this is it. It’s hard to imagine Dave

and family with a miniature or toy dog while owning this

beautiful and, at the same time, substantial retreat. For

Strider, the fearless Leonberger, is as much at home in

this massive log cabin as this enchanting log lodge is at

home beside the lake.


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CottageDog now affiliated with www.PetFriendly.ca - 29

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Your Home Away From Home…

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Bearded Collie (Iago) awaiting for Schnoodle (Dodo) Golden Doodle (Finley)

Bernese Mountain Dog

Basset Hound (Bart)

Golden Doodles (Penny & Mishu)

Rat Terrier Mix (Dave)

Doberman (Bishop)

English Bulldog (Rosie)

German Sheppards (Rajh & Nanda)

Great Dane (Hazel)

PUPARAZZI!A Dog’s Tale… Iago’s Day in High Park

There’s nothing quite like a walk in the park. However, being a cottage dog, rarely do I enjoy the freedom of wandering off-leash when in the city… until now. While in Toronto recently, my human (in dire need of a stretch) and I (in dire need of relieving myself) decided to visit High Park in the city’s west end.

I quickly sniffed out the designated off-leash area, an incredible “urban Shangri-La”. Once inside this protected area, so many of my distant relatives greeted me, their country cousin, that it must have looked like a canine cocktail party! Making my way along endless trails untouched by the curse of concrete, I especially enjoyed those parts where one could see no sign of urban life… although you could always hear it. I give this dog park four paws up!


By Iago de Venezia (pup reporter)

Mixed Breed (Bessie) PapillonEnglish Sheep Dog (Katie)

Sheppard/Husky (Timber)

Australian Sheppard

Winter weather, perhaps more than ever be-fore, is unpredictable. Freeze follows thaw, snow follows rain, in a cycle that keeps us

guessing just what, exactly, Mother Nature has in store for us.

This winter alone we’ve seen warm spells turn a sub-stantial snow-base into a quagmire of slush. Then, a sud-den change back to more typical temperatures led to a

quick freeze in most areas. Up in cottage country, we were just beginning to venture out on the ice when the rapid thaw led to unstable lake ice, causing local authorities to post safety warnings.

Sadly, however, many dog owners feel such warnings aren’t meant for their canine companions, wrongly as-suming their pets can withstand frigid water thanks to a thick coat of hair. Not so, and already this year We’ve

How toWinterize

Your PoochDogs and ice can make for a deadly combination!

By Dr. Jason McLeod

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An ounce of prevention…By Kerry Vinson

I clearly remember an incident some years ago involving a Ger-man Shepherd that had fallen through the ice of a not-quite-totally-frozen river in Northern Ontario. When I found her, she was clinging desperately to the edge of the ice extending out from shore. A friend and I were able to rescue the dog by lying on our stomachs with arms and legs extended to diffuse our weight on the ice, reaching out far enough to grab the dog by the collar and pull her to safety. We were fortunate the episode had a good ending for us as well as the dog.

When dogs run at large in cottage country, they’re exposed to many potential dangers. One of the most common problems occurs when dogs chase wildlife indigenous to the area, usually deer. In a recent conversation I had with the MNR Area Enforcement Officer for the Kawartha Region, he confirmed it’s a problem that can carry hefty consequences not only for dogs, but for their owners as well. In addition to a possible maximum $25,000 fine for allowing a dog to run at large and harass wildlife, MNR Officers have the legal right to shoot a dog found injuring deer, moose or elk.

The moral? Dog owners should never let their dogs run loose un-supervised. I have four large dogs (three German Shepherds and a Caucasian Ovcharka) and live in the middle of the Northumber-land Forest. Even though they’re quite obedient and do pretty much whatever I tell them, I suspect if a deer ran in front of them their natural instincts would compel them to give chase, no matter what. Consequently, to ensure this never happens, I keep them on a leash whenever outside of the fenced area in the forest covering most of my property. Probably not bad advice for dog owner’s in general when in cottage country with their dogs.

Your Pooch

witnessed a few tragedies. Dogs, like us, will panic when unwittingly crashing through the ice, leading to respiratory shock when icy cold water enters the lungs. Even if they survive this first wave of shock, they may prove unable to pull themselves out of the open water due to exhaustion. Eventually, hy-pothermia sets, making it impossible for them to tread water or keep their head above the surface.

Dogs and freezing water don’t mix

Hypothermia can still pose a threat even if they do get out of the water. A wet coat of hair won’t in-sulate effectively due to the loss of those all-impor-tant warm air pockets between the hair shafts, and ice may begin to form rapidly over the body due to freezing air temperatures. Consequently, if your dog does fall through the ice, seek veterinary aid immediately – even though they may appear okay, they may still be in a life-threatening situation.

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Dogs will often fall through ice when focused on following animal tracks or, heaven forbid, chasing deer. If so, the deer have the advantage – they’re experts on ice, and rarely ven-ture out until the ice is stable. If deer or other wildlife such as moose do fall through ice, it’s almost inevitably due to their having been startled or chased by would-be predators… such as dogs. Dogs by nature will chase “fright or flight” animals, and even small dogs can easily startle a full grown deer onto unsafe ice. It’s not uncommon for both the chaser and the chased to plunge through the ice during the pursuit, and un-fortunately, equally common for both not to survive.

None of this is to say, however, that some dogs don’t enjoy winter. I once dog-sat a Lancier Newfoundland that stayed outside my front door in a -20c snow storm. Every hour or so I asked her to come inside, only to receive a glare of distain as she gradually disappeared under a blanket of fluffy snow.

Some dogs, it seems, are designed for our harsh Canadian winters. Others clearly are not. But no dog is safe on unsta-ble ice. A simple rule of thumb: if you won’t walk on it, they shouldn’t. Stay safe, and enjoy winter with your four-legged friends.

WHILE YOU STAY AT DEERHURST, YOUR PETS CAN UNWIND AT NEARBY

HAPPY TAILS PET RESORT

Beat the winter blahs and retreat to Deerhurst’s lakeside winter wonderland for

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