wow...what a wonderful statement. I am a rescuer and feel it is karma as well. It is wonderful meeting members of my tribe. *hugs*

Dear Cesar, I couldn't agree with you more. These people are heroes, and so are you.
The second dog that I have, I've got from the rescue organization (first and third I found abbandoned). If it wasn't for them I wouldn't have my beautiful Ruffy.
I was actually planning to become a foster family for dogs, but two of my dogs started fighting, and I would not dare to bring another dog into the house right now. I ended up cleaning cats cages once a week for a rescue organization.

My wonderful part Corgie, Tillie, is a rescue dog. I don't know what I'd do without her. She had many issues when she came to live with me. The one thing we are still working on after 3 years, is her fear of loud noises. At the first loud noise, she starts shaking uncontrollably. I know I shouldn't coddle her during those times but I can't stand to see her so afraid. We'll get there, eventually.

I love 'The Dog Whisperer' and watch it whenever I can.

Dear Cesar,

I am blushing! I wish I could say I feel like a hero. However, the original group I worked with went dormant because of the numbers of Rottweilers, the severity of abuse and neglect we had to counter. I now work with other groups to rescue Rottweilers.

Then there is the persistent mythology about dogs we have to overcome in our culture. Mythology like:

1. A dog has to have puppies or teaching the children about the "miracle" of birth. A dog who has puppies or a male who is never neutered has a much higher chance of having cancer. A day at the local SPCA or other shelter will be a real eye opener, when the child sees what happens to these unwanted puppies in the homes and what the people who got them did with them after the cute puppies got older and got too big, distructive, aggressive, etc.

2. Having a pure bred dog is better than having a mixed breed and it will bring in money. I never made any money on puppies. At the time, I bred my dog to better the breed and show. I also made sure the puppies went to an "adoptive home" with someone who loved the breed and animals, not just any home so I could get "rid" of them and run to the bank. Again another trip to the local shelter...or a trip to visit a foster home. If you do not rescue, do not breed!

3. The idea that the dog is old, let's give it away to a new home, is particularly horrifying to me. An animal, dog, cat, gold fish, etc. is a responsibility for the whole of the animal's life, not just while it is cute or convenient.

4. "My dog did that.." What your dog does is your responsiblility. You must leash, fence, train your dog to be a good citizen, whatever it takes.

Our society throws aways pets, children, the mentally ill, all because we want the pretty, the winners, the competent. In reality, we are judged as a society on how we treat the weaker members of our society. We need to realize that it is by our hard work and recycling/rescue that we make a better society, not by what we throw away.

MAM

I have 2 rescue dogs and it is the most exciting and wonderful experience to see the changes they have gone through since they came to live with us.

The best part of getting rescue dogs is that a lot of the time they are older and already potty trained!!

I will always own rescue dogs. For me, it's the only way to get a dog.

We have a 9mo. old Pug that we've had since she was 2mo. old.
She constantly attacks my wifes shoes, and nips at her when she is resting on the couch. The only way we can control her is with a shock collar. I don't like using it but it's either that or get rid of her. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Cesar,

I'm particularly interested to watch your upcoming show where you work with some Katrina dogs. I spent 10 days in the New Orleans area after Katrina, rescuing and caring for the animals, and I understand how many of them are still exhibiting anxiety and aggression issues after all the trauma they have faced almost 6 months ago.

I have been a rescuer for many years, and have worked as a volunteer with a no-kill shelter in my area to walk the dogs, play with them, clean their cages...and most importantly, get them adopted. We've had fundraisers and adoption events...all of which has been more than rewarding! All 3 of my own dogs are rescues, too. One was even saved from being shot by a local sheriff in a roundup of strays in small town.

Right after hurricane Katrina, I couldn't take looking at all the stranded animals on the news any longer, and I drove to the New Orleans area to help with animal rescue in that area. I spent 10 days with a local, well-known 501c3 animal shelter in the area, and worked harder than I ever have in my life to rescue and care for those poor animals. It was truly the most moving experience of my life. In that triage center, we received many, many animals that were in varying stages of health, with some that were near death. I learned how sub-cutaneous fluids can have miraculous effects on animals that were impossibly dehydrated...and I learned to administer them, too. I watched as these frightened...and in many cases...aggressive little ones, that for weeks had been on the streets of New Orleans or trapped in houses, blossomed into friendly, and happy animals under the care of all the volunteers who had come from every state in the US to do exactly the same thing as myself. I also saw many pit bulls with shredded ears, faces and bodies, bearing the scars of being fought out in pit bull fighting rings. Even still, so many of those pit bulls were happy just to have someone feed them, care for them, and get them into a routine of feeding, exercise, love. After I returned home, I continued...many of us have been working for many months now, to reunite Katrina animals with their previous owners, or help to get others fostered, and finally adopted into wonderful, new, forever homes.

And still, there are thousands of stray animals on the streets of New Orleans, almost 6 months later. But, several remaining large rescue organizations are working hard to do one last sweep of the area to get as many of the remaining (and now, newly born) strays off the streets as possible before the end of February.

Cesar, thank you so much for all you do for helping people truly understand the world of dogs. And for all those who haven't done so, please consider volunteering at your local no-kill shelter. These little ones so need you!

Thank you for those wonderful words! As a volunteer/coordinator with Save A Sato in Puerto Rico, we deal with non-socialized abused dogs on a daily basis. A piece of each rescuers heart flys with each dog. They visit their rescues once a year here in the states at yearly reunions. I know a piece of my heart gets added as each dog is adopted through my local shelter, and we have a very close knit family of adopters. Rescuing these dogs and watching them grow in trust and love is amazing!

My husband and I adopted a 4 month old rottie cross. He's the second dog I've adopted (our first joint adoption)and the 5th animal I've taken from a bad situation, although I never equated adoption with rescue. I guess we have a really good shelter. You guys should check it out. It's the Dorothy and Roy Park Center for Pet Adoption - a no kill shelter with animal "trainers" on staff who ease our friends' transitions. Unbelievably, the previous "owner" for lack of a good term, didn't want him because he wandered. We should have called him "Planet" but we named him "Duke" after a Cajun restaurant in Union Square in NYC. My admiration goes to the woman who has 11 dogs. We wish we could adopt more pals, but do not have the room. We give so much time to Duke, I wonder sometime if we're spoiling him with the amount of time we spend with him but it feels good and why should we ration love? We follow basic behavioral tenets, adopting him into our pack rather than letting him lead. I wish we could know the man who abandoned him because I'm mystified at how he can exist - it almost seems anti-human to have feelings like that. Thank you Cesar for helping us communicate effectively with our friends. Duke has benefitted directly from your teachings.

Love,
Anne Marie in Ithaca

Dear Cesar,
We absolutely LOVE your show & are hoping to make it to one of your "classes" when you come to the Michigan area. We have 4 dogs--3 from the Humane Soc!We have an 80# Terrier Mix who is now 16 or 17 yrs old (we adopted him at an estimated age of 3-4 yrs & you'd never know he's so old except for the gray hair!), an 85# German Shepherd (her "job" is taking care of our son who is now 7, and what a great "nanny" she is!), an 85# Bernese Mt Dog/Shepherd Mix--she's the family "Sweetie", and a 9# 7 mos.old Rat Terrier that we got from a breeder. What joy they've brought into our lives! Your show has shown us, however, some of the things we've been doing wrong--even if they seem to be well-mannered, "good" dogs. We're definitely changing our method of feeding--Harry (our senior citizen) becomes "dominant" when we put the food out by growling at the other dogs & eating first. We've had food all over a couple of times when Sam (the G.Shep)"challenges" this. That's the only "problem" we've had that we've never changed, since we didn't think of it as a "problem" until we saw your feeding method!! We'll be changing that now! Again, thanks for all you do & for the joy & happiness you bring to all these animals' lives!--By the way, we're moving to TN to start a non-profit Thoroughbred Race Horse Rescue--so wish us luck!

Cara - your dog may have separation anxiety, or is just plain bored or may just be doing this for attention - even though it may be negative when you get home . There aren't many details in your thread, so it is hard to say. Are you leaving her all day when you go to work, or even if you are gone for a few minutes does she become destructive? Speak to your vet and maybe he/she can recommend a good dog bahaviorist to evaluate the behavior and give you some techniques. One thing you can try now, if not already done so, is to get the 'Kong' ball which has holes in a strong rubber ball that you can put treats in. Putting different sized treats in the ball allows some to come out when it is rolled around while others stay stuck in there and the dog has a fun time trying to get them out. My dogs love these things. I am not sure if you have 'Kong' toys in your area, but they can be found online on the major pet stores. Good luck!

Angela and Jim - Good luck, you'll be doing a wonderful thing, rescuing horses.

Cara,

I know you said Trina gets walked 45 minutes a day, but did you know that Cesar recommends that as the *minimum* amount of time per day? Perhaps Trina needs more walking time.

Also, I don't know how Cesar feels about this product, but it may help Trina a lot. It's called Comfort Zone and contains dog appeasing pheramones. I've heard a lot of people say it's helped with issues their dogs (and cats, with the feline version) have had. It's a plug-in unit (like a plug-in air freshner) that releases the pheramones. We don't smell them, just the dog does. You should check it out. It's not cheap though. I think it's about $45 for the unit with refill and then something like $25 for the refill.

Good luck to you and Trina!
~CHat
P.S. (Have you tried the black Kong toy? It's supposed to be stronger. Or maybe a Galileo Nylabone?)

Cesar and his way of working with dogs was so easy to see, once he opened everyone's eyes. I can honestly say, I've never had a problem with dogs, mine or anyone elses, until last year. My daughters best buddy's dog hates me. Well, at least he feels very threatened by me. He bit me, and the owners watched and never corrected the dog. I won't allow my children to vist them anylonger and I wish they could see just one of Cesar's shows and understand what a good dog he could be if he were worked with. I don't blame this dog, or the breed, but the owners in this case. I am so glad someone out there is taking a stand for the infamous "Pit Bull". Never has such a sweet breed gotten a more undeserved reputation. I am currently the home for an abandoned Border Collie, Pug and a planned purchased Springer Spaniel Puppy. I know for certaint he Pug would be put down at a shelter, as he is VERY dominant and has a fixation with food. He has a very strict and well guareded meal, as I believe he would bite any living thing other than me while he is eating. I have all of my animals altered and maintain that this is the best first step towards a happy pet.

Can't get any advice, probably have to put my little Pug down.

Debbie,
We watch all of Cesars shows, but can't apply some of his skills to our Pug. She accepts me as leader but not my ill wife. When walking she attacts her slippers like a "killer" pit bull. I've tried sprays but to no avail, gonna try some bitter apple today. When my wife is resting on the couch the Pug nips at her and licks her hair. I've downloaded dozens of tips on training her to accept the wife as a leader, but nothing works. We have an appointment with a pro. on 2/27 but what to do in the meantime. Thanks for the reply. HELP

Duane,

What Rollin says is good sense. It sounds like the NILIF program is necessary. NILIF= Nothing In Life Is Free. Do a search on the internet and you should come up with several hits to help you out with the program. I don't know how ill your wife is (I'm sorry about that) but if it's possible, she needs to institute the program- you both do. You can do the walking, but she can still do things like provide the food but make the dog work for it. Good luck and best wishes for your wife.

~CHat

Dear Bridget,

I completely agree. Then the humane organization gets on the television so people can see them rescuing animals!!! The SPCA in our area did the same thing to some poor old dog named "Trouble" on their show. Trouble still had his ribs showing when they tested him. He had also undergone surgery for his wounds after abuse. Despite the fact that they said he was OK otherwise, they put him to sleep. They have done this on episode after episode of their so-called rescue show. The other day, our town's newspaper had an article that said this SPCA put about 60% of their animals to sleep, including most of the pit bulls, dobermans, rottweilers and german shepherds!!!! Some rescue. They showed a rottweiler that had half a kennel of dog toys in it. An abused neglected animal needs attention, not a half kennel of toys! I agree, some rescue and humane organizations are not rescuing or humane.

Food aggression is very common and instinctual, especially in neglected or abused animals. I work with my dogs every day. They need to learn that humans provide food and are to be trusted. Working for food can be fun. You have to know what you are doing. I saw a good show with Cesar on food aggression. I wish he would do more shows and work with the rescue and humane societies.

It is up to the members of the public to protest this treatment of animals by rescue and humane societies. I try, but I seem to be the only one in a city of 2 million. I guess the voice crying in the wilderness. I also try to put in a good word for my rottweilers every chance I get.

MAM

pk, what do you see as the answer? I feel for SPCA staff who get involved to help animals but have to kill so many.

I attended a conference in Singapore and this problem was brought up. The speaker pointed out that many shelters ar now refusing to accept unwanted pets without first educating the relinquishing owner as to how he or she can fix any 'problems' they are having with the dog. He pointed out that these shelters have dramatically reduced the numbers 'put to sleep' by implementing this policy.

I thought this was a great idea, but then I wondered if these owners didn't then just take the animal to an SPCA that will kill the animal for them (I think that saying they are 'put to sleep' makes it easier for people to relinquish; we should be more honest and direct and use the word 'kill'). What do you think of this?

I notice that, according to Animal People, over 5 million dogs are killed in shelters each year in the United States. Are we not making it too easy for people to do this to their pets? Shouldn't we make it far more difficult? The 5 million figure is appalling for a civilized, educated, advanced country of 260 million people.

How can we change that?

Here is a silly but really annoying problem. My otherwise cooperative 2yrs and 70lb border collie mix is fixated on the TV remote. When in the house, he stares at it like he is hypnotized and drools. Making him lie down stops the drooling, but he gradually raises back up again so we have to tell him to lie down about every 3.5 minutes. The only way to turn him off is to put the remote in a drawer, then we can't use it. He doesn't want to chew or attack it, just stares and drools, occasionally looking back over his shoulder at the tv. Good thing is we can't lose the remote but am getting tired of telling him to lie down or putting up with wet spots. I've tried making him lie head down to be submissive, but he watches it out of the corner of his eyes and jumps right back up again the minute I release him. Everyone laughes at us - are we the only people this has happened to? Anyone have ideas on how to intervene?

To Bridget,
My heart goes out to you, but please don't give up. Your local Humane Society is obviously understaffed, and overloaded with work. The ONLY way their situation will change is by someone like you stepping up to the plate and accepting the realities of shelter work, and hopefully speaking up to create change. If you just quit volunteering there, simply because you can't stand to watch animals being put down, how will that help?
The managers in the shelter may or may not be willing to listen, but how will you know unless you say something. Even if they aren't, keep volunteering. It won't change overnight, but by letting your voice be heard, more people working there may be inspired... either to educate themselves, the community, etc. to be more responsible pet owners. Also, working together with the shelter to help recruit more volunteers may resolve their immediate need of being able to accommodate those animals you say they "turn away" even though the space is available.
Please don't give up. The many animals you do help find homes for someday will really appreciate it.

To MAM,
Please try working together with the shelters, first, before publically protesting these worthwhile organizations. Yes, sometimes bad people, or management, may be hampering the overall efforts of a particular shelter. But by badmouthing the SPCA, or similar shelter publically, only hurts their nationwide image. It's hard enough already to get some pet owners to act responsibly when it comes to the care of their animals. They need to know that shelter organizations, and Humane Societies are also willing to educate and assist them in times of need. With bad publicity in the air, more and more animals will undoubtably be dumped, abandoned, or subjected to prolonged neglect, only because the owner doesn't trust the local shelter.
Sorry to drag on. I just feel strongly that negativity breeds more negativity.

Let me first say that Cesar I am in awe of your gift and compassion for the Dogs...You have given them a voice that is so over due. Watchng you gives me chills and hope that we can all be pack leaders! After my 55 hr work week I am a Dachshund rescue volunteer 16 hrs a weekend...it is dirty, heartbreaking, frustrating, never-ending yet, the most rewarding challenge I have ever taken on. I wish so much be a leader for the dogs that you are....which is nearly impossible...feeding, vetting, screening applications, house visits, placing, follow-up....seems to take all our time. Any suggestions???? My goal one day is to make rescue my entire life (no 9-5!)but at this time I have to pay the bills...I would like to have a santuary for the dogs that are hard to place (sick, terminally ill, seniors everyone thinks are to old and won't live long) I lost my first Doxie at 16 yr this last November and he taught me so much about life and accepting death as a part of life. I now can teach and love a dog that has only a year or 2 of life left in him and give him the best years of his life. If you have a dog for 15 yrs or 6mths...they are the best times of your life. Love a senior!
Cat

hiya can u send things free like a pull along dog but not a real 1

We have 3 pugs and a beagle. Two of our pugs were adopted from Green Mountain Pug Rescue, and I adopted our beagle during a vet visit. Her owner was getting rid of her, because she was gun shy and was not good for hunting.

One of the rescued pugs, has a collasping trachea, and I have spent a lot of time at the vet's, up at night with her, and trying to find ways to improve her life. Last year she won 3 out of 4 races at the Green Mountain Pug Fest. I was so proud.

Both of the rescue pugs follow me like I am the pied piper of Hamlin. All though all our dogs follow me most of the time, the 2 rescue pugs will wait outside a door for me.

Oh sure there are problems sometimes with rescued dogs... but the rewards are overwhelming. I suggest that anyone seeking a dog... get a rescue. Don't get the puppy from the pet store, they come from puppy mills, and need to be put out of business.

Gayle

I am a professional groomer and I work for several rescue groups in my area (philadelphia). I feel it is a honor and privledge to be able to take care of these rescue dogs who have come from some of the worst case scenarios. Some of these dogs are so aggressive that grooming them is impossible but I keep myself in a calm assertive state and therefore relay that to these dogs. How do I know wheather a dog is in shock or just fearful or are they the same thing? Unfortunatly time isn't always on my side so I may have to get a dog groomed before he/she is comfortable, in this situation, how do I make a rescue dog who may be fearfully aggressive submit without putting him into shock? anyone?
Thanks

I joined Rocket Dog Rescue in San Francisco because they take dogs off death row and find homes for them. I was stunned to realize what is considered adoptable and not. If old age, a limp and some skin problems takes these dogs off the list, then what kind of message does that send about how we feel about our ederly? I think rescue is the best thing ever.

Hi, we have two pugs who we love very much -- Harley, a three and a half-year-old male and Sophie, a seven month-old female. We have had both of them since they were 10-12 weeks old. Both dogs are very sweet and mild mannered. They love other dogs and children which is one of the main reasons why we picked them. (We are also expecting our first baby -- I am eight and a half months pregnant). Harley has always had an issue with food aggression, but recently it has gotten considerably worse. We feed them separately and have been trying to pet him gently as he is fed so that he gets used to having others around (like our daughter). He freaked out yesterday and bit me. He is terrifying Sophie to the point she will abandon her bowl and hide under the dining room table. This behavior is really at odds with his normal personality.

In addition, about five months ago, we started transitioning Harley out of our bed and into beds on the floor next two ours. Their beds are super comfy -- they have their own mini down comforters and tons of toys. Up until recently, they have been pretty good about sleeping on their own beds (they taking naps on them during the day). But over the last two weeks Harley and now Harley and Sophie have become relentless about trying to get in bed with us. They cry and scratch at the bed every couple hours (all night long). We have tried putting them back in their beds, telling them to go to their beds, taking them outside (in case they need to go to the bathroom), lying down next to them, etc...and nothing seems to work. We're exhausted and the baby isn't even born yet!

I work from home now during the week (I have for nearly a year) and we always make sure they get long walks and lots of outside time on the weekends. I am not sure what gives or what to do. Please help. Any insight would be appreciated!

Thanks in advance.

Great site loved it alot, will come back and visit again.