With more than 200 exhibitor booths, the Toronto Christmas Pet Show is a great place to get some amazing deals on pet products just in time for the holidays. You can also find a wealth of information from dog breeders and other experts. And it’s not just dogs! You can also find out about cats, exotic animals, and small animals. Pets are welcome, and Santa will be on hand for photos and to find out what your furry friend is putting on his Christmas list!

Date: Saturday November 19 and Sunday November 20

Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Location: International Centre in Mississauga, 6900 Airport Road, Mississauga

You can purchase e-tickets in advance, which will help support our rescue. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.torontochristmaspetshow.ca.

Saving just one dog won’t change the world...but, surely, the world will change for that one dog...

November 2016 the official speaking of dogs monthly newsletter

In this month’s newsletterDogs looking for homes ................................2 Ask the trainer ..............................................5 Wags & wiggles ............................................6 Bits & bites ....................................................7 Recent adoptions ..........................................9 In memoriam ..............................................10

About Speaking of DogsSpeaking of Dogs is a Toronto-based organization that launched in 2001 and is dedicated to educating and enlightening people about dogs through seminars, workshop forums, outreach and rescue. Our goal is to end cruelty, abandonment, mistreatment and homelessness of man’s best friend.

Speaking of Dogs Rescue is the operating name of Speaking of Dogs Rescue Program, a Canada Revenue Agency–registered charity based in Ontario.

Contact Speaking of Dogs1277 York Mills Road, Box 33508 Toronto, ON Canada M3A 3R5 Phone: 416-444-4190 Email: info@speakingofdogs.com Web: www.speakingofdogs.com

Newsletter TeamEditor: Nancy Foran Design: Cathy Vandergeest at www.gawck.ca Contributors: Nancy Foran, Lorraine Houston, Emily Fisher and, Kim Gladding

NewslettersIf you no longer want to receive our newsletter, email newsletter@speakingofdogs.com, with “unsubscribe” written in the subject line.

Speaking of Dogs Newsletter November 2016 | 1

It’s beginning to Look a Lot Like the Toronto Christmas Pet Show!

feaTured dog: Who is this handsome fellow? Why it’s dandy Andy looking for a new home and someone special to call his own! Andy came to us from a shelter when his previous owners could no longer take care of him properly. He’s somewhere between 7 and 8 years old and weighs about 50 pounds – a few too many pounds for this sweet beagle/bulldog mix, so he needs to shed a few!

A is not only for Andy but amazing, awesome, and astounding, and that’s our boy! He also gets an A+ for sociability, housetraining, riding in the car, getting along with other dogs, and getting along with cats and kids!

His foster mom reports that Andy can be vocal when initially left alone (oh, those hound genes!), so he is not the best match for a condo or apartment, but he’d be a great pal for those of you who live in a house, and he’d adore having a fenced yard to play in! Ask about Andy at Lorraine@speakingofdogs.com.

Speaking of Dogs Newsletter November 2016 | 2

A friend in need is a friend indeedWithout a doubt, a dog is a real friend. Our dogs come in all shapes and sizes, but they have one thing in common – they all need loving forever homes. Open your heart and your home to a rescue dog. You’ll be glad you did. For complete information about the adoption process, please visit www.speakingofdogs.com/adoption-process. For more information on each dog, simply click on their name.

dogs Looking for Homes

Huck hound / shepherd mix

large, adult, male

Jack australian cattle dog mix

medium, adult, male

Bruce pug / beagle mix

medium, adult, male

Andybeagle mix medium, adult, male

Speaking of Dogs Newsletter November 2016 | 3

Bruno rottweiler / shephers miz

large, adult, male

Annie schnauzer

small, senior, female

Sandy poodle mix

small, adult, female

Charlie pug / bulldog mix

medium, young, male

Ruby hound / pointer mix

medium, adult, female

Rico hound mix

large, young, male

Honey beagle / jack russel terrier mix

medium, adult, female

Collin yorkshire / silky terrier mix

small, adult, male

Prince shih tzu

small, senior, male

Joey english pointer / beagle mix

medium, young, female

Brandy poodle mix

small, adult, male

Winnie shepherd mix

large, adult, female

Speaking of Dogs Newsletter November 2016 | 4

THe 2017 SPeakINg of dogS reSCue CaLeNdarS are IN!Our beautiful rescue calendars are hot off the presses and only $15.00 each or $12.00 each for ten or more. They’re a perfect holiday gift and a great way to support our dogs. You can place your order by emailing Lorraine at lorraine@speakingofdogs.com.

Many thanks to our calendar team!

Here ComeS SaNTa CLauS!

Date: Saturday November 26

Time: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Location: Country Paws Grooming

Cost: $12 (includes photo and goodie bag)

Call: 289-282-2017 to reserve your spot!

100% of the proceeds will be donated to Speaking of dogs rescue!

Speaking of Dogs Newsletter November 2016 | 5

How To read Your dog’S mINd

Last night, I read a dog’s mind. His owner was working on recall, training his dog to come when called. I suggested, “Billy is going to notice the person sitting over there on his way past and is going to want to go say hi. I want you to recall from a closer distance and angle away from that person so he’s further away.”

Guess what? The owner made a mistake and didn’t angle away from the person… and Billy recalled half way and then ran up to the person sitting across the room to say hi.

Billy’s owner said to me, “Did you read his mind? How did you know he was going to do that?”

In a sense, I did read his mind… and you can too!

Look Where the Dog Looks, Notice What He NoticesThe most critical element of “mind reading” is to look where your dog looks and notice what he’s noticing. Dog’s don’t rest their gaze on things for no reason, and you can learn a lot about what a dog is thinking simply by noticing what they look at, how long they look at it, how they look at it, and how frequently they look at it.

This is what I saw Billy do. As he passed by the person, he looked over, pulled his ears back, and gave a little wiggle. It took him about one second between noticing the person and disengaging, but it was a very telling second!

This is such a simple idea, but it can be hard to do in daily life. It takes a lot of practice to notice these subtle changes in your dog’s behaviour, especially brief glances and slight changes in body language.

What Has the Dog Done in the Past?How your dog has behaved previously will give you a lot of insights. This is especially important for owners of reactive or fearful dogs, because there could be a lot riding on your ability to see patterns in your dog’s behaviour so that you can take appropriate action before a situation escalates.

Billy often looks at me in the same way he looked at the person he went to say hi to. I know that when he looks at me like that, he will greet me enthusiastically if given the opportunity. Given that pattern of behaviour, when I saw him noticing the person in the training area, I speculated that he would likely do the same thing he’s done in the past.

Body LanguageGaining an understanding of body language is a critical aspect to learning to mind read. Body language needs to be read in the context of the situation, your dog’s past history of behaviour, and each body part relative to the whole picture. For example, a fast wagging tail doesn’t necessarily indicate that a dog is friendly; it just indicates that a dog is aroused. It might be that the dog is excited to see you, but it might also be that the dog is angry or agitated. You can only know by looking at the whole picture.

When Billy looked at the person he wanted to greet, he dropped his head down and forward, crinkled his ears back, licked his lips, squinted his eyes, and had a soft, low wagging tail. I was not worried that Billy was going to run at this person angrily because his body language was typical of a polite and soft greeting. However, this body language also indicated that he was likely to veer off course from his recall.

An Emotional AssessmentAnother mind reading strategy is to understand how your dog feels in

any given situation. Strong emotion will always override your training, so training that is falling apart can be a good assessment of your dog’s emotional state. Your dog could be fearful or angry, happy, or over-stimulated. A few good tests of emotional state include:

• Will your dog eat treats? If they won’t eat, that is very telling of stress.

• Is your dog snatching the treats out of your hand or taking them gently? If your usually gentle dog is eating your fingers along with the treats, they’re telling you they’re feeling agitated.

• Is your dog taking the treat and scanning the environment, or taking the treat and asking for more? If they’re eating the treat but scanning around or walking away, they’re telling you that they’re feeling uncomfortable.

• Will your dog respond to well-known cues or hand signals? If they’re not responding to well-known and quietly spoken cues, they’re telling you that they need help to settle or need to work in a different environment.

If your dog is not feeling safe or calm, you can bet that you’ll see problem behaviours like barking and lunging or not responding to you. It’s critical that you take this as a set of “symptoms” of your dog’s mental state rather than see it as your dog being unmannerly or disobedient. Reading your dog’s emotional state is a critical part of mind reading.

Developing ForesightWhat’s the use of mind reading if you don’t use that information to your advantage? Based on body language and knowing Billy is a young and social dog, I suspected that he would take the opportunity to greet the person

...Continued on page 6

ask the Trainer

Speaking of Dogs Newsletter November 2016 | 6

reLISH bar & grILLThank you so much to Joanne Clayton and the staff at Relish Bar & Grill on the Danforth (near Woodbine) for your very generous Thanksgiving donation! Every year the bar offers a Thanksgiving dinner in exchange for a donation to help our dogs! Thanks Joanne and all, we are so thankful for your support and generosity!

auCTIoN voLuNTeerS aNd THoSe wHo doNaTed ITemS or PLaCed bIdSThe fall online auction is now finished. Congratulations to all of our successful bidders, and thanks to everyone who donated items or placed bids. Special thanks our amazing auction volunteers, Chris, Martin, Patti, Karen, Christa, Evguenia, and Andrej.

woof aNd CHeeSe HaLLoweeN ParTYA great time was had by all at the annual Woof and Cheese Halloween party hosted by Doggieville in Newmarket! Thank you to Janine and all her staff for choosing Speaking of Dogs Rescue as their 2016 benefitting charity. Many thanks to Sara H., Ruth W., and Gabe T. for coming out to help with our booth set-up and take-down as well as judging! An amazing day filled with fun, frolic, and lots of laughs!

wags & wiggles ...Continued from page 5

in the training space. I therefore offered a modified plan for the recall. The owner was able to follow the direction on the next recall, and the dog performed beautifully.

Distance is very important to dogs. If they are bothered or excited by something in the environment, a primary way to diffuse this is to increase the physical distance between the dog and the distraction. And don’t be stingy! In a training session you can also look at what you’re asking of your dog. In Billy’s case, we shortened the distance of the recall and increased the distance from the distraction. You can also positively reinforce with food or toys. The more frequently you reinforce your dog, the more likely they are to work through a distraction. If you’re dealing with behaviour problems, like reactivity, fear, or aggression, I encourage you to seek guidance from a positive reinforcement trainer qualified to work through behaviour problems.

If you notice what your dog notices, read their body language accurately, and see this in the context of your dog’s past behaviour, you’ll be able to modify your training to help your dog succeed. Your dog’s success is your success, and your dog’s failure is your failure. Learning to “mind read” will benefit you both!

Emily Fisher, CPDT-KA Scratch and Sniff Canine Services, Guelph, ON

Speaking of Dogs Newsletter November 2016 | 7

THIS moNTH’S reCaLLS:Click on a recall to be directed to further information online.

• Cesar Filet Mignon flavour wet dog food

Simply click on a summary to be whisked away to the internet page where you can read the full story.

bits & bitesHave you ever wondered how you could make life easier for some of the cats that may be roaming your neighborhood? The answer might be getting involved in TNR, otherwise known as trap-neuter-return.

TNR reduces community cat populations by eliminating their ability to breed, but it also has a positive impact on the lives of the cats already present for several reasons:

1. All cats that have gone through a TNR program are vaccinated to help prevent the spread of viruses in the colony.

2. Female cats, who may already be undernourished or in poor health, do not have to go through the stress of pregnancy and raising a litter of kittens.

3. Male cats may engage in less fighting behavior as the urge to mate is no longer present.

4. Social cats that may have been dumped or have wandered into a colony can be placed up for adoption if brought in for TNR.

The non-profit organization Community Cats offers TNR workshops several times throughout the year, and you must have completed a workshop to access the free TNR services provided by the Toronto Humane Society. Upcoming workshop dates are September 10th and October 1st, please see the Community Cats website for more information.

If taking part in TNR is not something you can manage at this point in time consider helping the effort by participating in, or donating to, a feral cat shelter workshop where volunteers come together to create warm housing for these outdoor kitties to rest in over the winter. Upcoming shelter workshops will be taking place on November 12th and 26th, December 10th, January 14th and 28th, and February 11th. Please visit Toronto Street Cats for more information.

The Toronto Humane Society is a proud member of the Toronto Feral Cat TNR Coalition, providing free TNR services for community cats and operating a foodbank for colony caretakers.

You Can Help Make Life Better for Community Cats

November is Adopt a Senior Dog Month! Check out these five reasons to adopt senior pets.

With the cold weather coming, life is about to get very hard for feral cats. Check out the Toronto Humane Society’s TNR program and shelter-building workshops.

Yvette Van Veen offers advice for keeping dogs happy while being groomed and for dealing with anxiety on walks.

A Syrian refugee couple’s dream came true when they’re Jack Russell was able to join them in Canada.

vIdeo bITS aNd bITeSGlobal News has recently investigated a number of aspects of the OSPCA and its operations, including

• how it carries out its investigations,

• friction with its affiliate humane societies,

• its mandate, and

• oversight.

(Click on each point above for the specific topic video) PLeaSe HeLP uS

HeLP our dogS!Modern Family Realtor is conducting an “MFR Gives Back” promotion to help local charities, including Speaking of Dogs Rescue. Every time someone shares their email address with them and votes for Speaking of Dogs, the rescue will receive a $20 donation.

PLeaSe vISIT http://www.modernfamilyrealtor.ca/charity-giveaway%e2%80%8f/ to participate.

PartyPaws4

Save THe daTe!Party 4 Paws 2017 will be at the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 345 in Scarborough on Saturday, March 4th. the fun will start at 7 p.m.

tickets go on sale soon!

2017

Speaking of Dogs Newsletter November 2016 | 9

Happy TailsoCTober adoPTIoNS: A big thank you to our foster parents and our new adoptive guardians for helping give these loving dogs a second chance.

Sophie

KikiBillie Brenda

Hoagie & GracieTrufflesMylie

Mistyforever in foster

Pudding

Jesseforever in foster

Toby

Speaking of Dogs Newsletter November 2016 | 10

Smudgieloved by angela coyne

adopted september 2012

passed october 2016

In memoriam

Marleyloved by meagan and neil

adopted april 2015

passed october 2016

Carmenloved by the young family adopted august 2009 passed october 2016

Dukeloved by ron and nola wilson

adopted july 2015

passed october 2016

Speaking of Dogs Newsletter November 2016 | 11

Sallyloved by julie adopted september 2015

passed october 2016