Cairn Rescue USA

Missy was released from a life of continued breeding on the day after Thanksgiving in 2006. Missy is a wonderful dog who loves to be held and play with toys. She has a beautiful reddish coat that was shaved down to the skin because she was horribly matted. Her coat is starting to come in and she thanks to her foster home, she looks terrific!

Missy came to CRUSA with lots of issues. Missy had several teeth removed as they were rotten from lack of quality food and proper care. She also had a bad bladder infection. It was so bad that the vet suspected she may have bladder stones. This finally cleared but the next issue that required attention was a large hernia. Unlike a typical abdominal hernia, this was located in the groin area. When she finally got into the vet for surgery it had grown to the size of a tennis ball. The vet reported that he had her on the table for over 3 hours to remove the hernia and spay her. Like a real trouper, she was up and walking later that day. Everyone at the vet fell in love with Missy and said she was just the nicest dog.

Missy continues her recovery from her previous neglect and life in a cage. She is like a spring flower that has blossomed into a real beauty. She continues to work on her house training as she has had so many medical issues that held her back.

She walks well on a leash, loves to be held and cuddle, sticks to you like glue and is just plain fun to have around.

If you think you have a place in your heart and home for Missy or another rescued cairn, please consider filling out an application to adopt. If you are interested in fostering or fostering to adopt, please email us.

Who's Who

From devastation to exhilaration would describe Michaelann Florimbio. After losing her Belgian Sheepdog, she vowed to never own another dog. Enter Max, Dude, and Jack, three wonderful Cairns who have won Michaelann’s heart. Michaelann states that, “Cairns are like potato chips because you can’t have just one.”

Not only are her boys like the Three Stooges, they are very much a part of Michaelann’s real estate business. She has used them to incorporate a Wizard of Oz theme around her open houses and business cards.

Michaelann believes in giving back to her community; therefore, she makes a $50 donation upon completing real estate transactions to one of four charities. CRUSA is one of those charities. She challenges everyone to send her referrals for real estate and relocation for not just Virginia but anywhere in the United States. She can even help you all the way in California! If the referral comes from a CRUSA member, she will donate $50 upon each completed transaction. Click here to get Michaelann's contact information.

In her spare time Michaelann loves to photograph, garden, and cook. She also loves to care for her three Cockatiels: Sam, Buttercup, and Prince.

Max. Dude, and Jack have become quite the hit at Michaelann's mother's nursing home. What should be a five minute walk down the halls always take at least 30 minutes. All the residents and visitors want to see, pet, and talk to her boys. Michaelann takes the opportunity to hand out her business cards and talk about CRUSA.

Michaelann has recently accepted the position of Vice President of Membership. She will be redesigning our membership program. Expect her to be contacting you soon and encouraging you to join CRUSA's other members.


	Michaelann and "The Boys".



	Max, Dude and Jack as Santa's Helpers.


	Boys and Their Toys.

Dear Dotty,

Dear Dotty,

My dog circles when she gets upset. What can I do to help her stop doing this?

Thanks!

Burt

Dear Burt,

Taking your dog on long walks each day can help reduce the circling. Also, you can work with her to redirect her. Try training her to sit or lay down to stop the circling. This could help break the cycle. If there is something specific that she gets upset over, storms, loud noises, etc you might try a herbal treatment called Rescue Remedy. Some dog owners give this to their dogs when they know a situation is coming and report that it does make a significant difference in the dog's behavior.

Thanks for your question!

Dotty

Dear Dotty.

Do you have any advice for keeping my dog from digging in the veggie garden?

Gardener Mom

Dear Gardner,

Dogs dig for many reasons including to bury and retrieve bones, as a cooling pit and out of boredom. There are several options you can take.

First, try taking long walks and avoid long term confinement. If you don't mind your dog digging elsewhere, create a pit where he can dig and reward him when he digs in that area. You can hide chew bones and toys in the dirt for them to find.

Finally as a last resort consider using temporary fencing to enclose your garden area.

Good luck!

Dotty

CRUSA REPORTS as of 6/21/2006
YTD Dogs in Program	128
YTD Adopted Dogs	69
Current Dogs by Region
Mid-West	18
Northeast	22
Southeast	12
West	5

FUNDRAISING

Have you visited Woof and Famous?

Woof and Famous offers custom clothing, leashes, collars, harnesses and so much more for the discriminating pooch. They also donate 50% of your purchase to Cairn Rescue USA. Please visit the store and shop often by clicking on the link below.

Just click on the above link or use the link from our affiliates page.

No Place Like (a Forever) Home

Post Adoption VP Kathy Garis is requesting that all adoptive families send her some nice up close photos of their dogs adopted from CRUSA. We will be using these in our 2007 calendar. If you have time, please include a few lines about how your cairn is doing. Kathy has been sharing this info on our yahoo group - CairnRescueUSA.

Swimming Pools and Dogs

Summer is here and most of us have our pools open now. What about that new dog you adopted? Will he like to swim too? What can you do to protect him from drowning?

Owning a pool can be a lot of fun but it does mean you have to take care to protect your cairn from drowning. It is difficult for a dog to get out of the pool on the edge. If you are building a new pool, you may want to install steps at both ends. If you already have a pool you may consider installing a ramp. (see the picture below). Having a ramp and teaching your dog to use it, will give the dog a way to get out of the pool in the event it falls in.

Consider using a pool alarm to alert you when your cairn has entered the pool. There are several types of pool alarms including those that float on the pool water and some designed to be worn on the collar. (see pictures) Most have a remote receiver that can alert someone in the house.

Work with your dog so that he can learn how to get out of the pool in your absence. Have one person in the pool and another on the side where the steps are and encourage the dog to swim that direction. Always provide a reward when they do it correctly to enforce the positive behavior.

Of course, the ultimate security is to enclose your pool with a fence. This prevents your pets from being anywhere in the pool area. Never allow your dog to be unattended outside with a pool.

Ramp to help dogs get out. Sensor can be worn on dog's collar. Floating detectors.

Agility - Sport of Dogs

Skippy shows off recent agility ribbons.

What is Agility? It is a sport in which a dog runs through a timed obstacle course with the guidance of his handler. Agility demonstrates the dog’s agile nature and versatility by jumping, running through tunnels, weaving through poles, and exercising through other obstacles. This sport strengthens the bond between the dog and his handler while providing fun and vigorous exercise for both.

In 1977 when the Crufts Dog Show needed to fill-up some spare time between the end of obedience and the start of breed judging, dog jumping and other demonstrations began. A group of people worked together to develop a test based on practical dog training knowledge and experience in working trails. Most of all, the test needed be fun and safe for the dogs and amusing to the audience. Thus began the foundation of Agility.

Today, Agility is very popular in Great Britain and Canada as well as the United States. There are two types of agility classes: Standard Class and Jumpers with Weaves. The Standard Class includes obstacles such as a dog walk, an A-frame, and a seesaw. Jumpers with Weaves has jumps, tunnels, and weave poles. Both classes have four levels of difficulty.

Agility is the fastest growing dog event in the United States and the AKC. It is available to every registered breed of dog with variations in times and jump heights depending on the size of the breed.

To Buckle or Not to Buckle

Robby shows off his seatbelt.

You’ve signed the adoption papers, your Cairn gets his new forever home, and you’re ready to get into the car. Where do you put him? Obviously he can’t ride in the trunk, but is allowing your new pet to roam freely in the car a good idea? Absolutely not! Hundreds of dogs and cats are injured or killed each year in automobile accidents when allowed to run freely in a car or truck. Human lives and personal property can be tragically ruined if an energetic animal distracts a driver.

Driver distraction causes about one quarter of the accidents according to the National Safety Council. Being distracted as little as 3 to 4 seconds may cause deadly results. Dogs and cats can cause as much or more distraction as cell phones, unruly children, eating or drinking, and changing the radio station or CD. Hopefully your love for your pet will make you think twice about how to restrain him.

Dogs and cats are unable to brace themselves against swerves and turns thus being thrown into windows, dashboards, and floors. Some of the injuries resulting in sudden stops and swerving are equivalent to shaken baby syndrome. Small dogs or cats left to wander can get crushed under accelerators and brake pedals.

Allowing your dog to put his head out a car or truck window is dangerous, too. Flying debris could kill your dog in an instant. He may become ill from cold air being forced into his lungs. Dust can get in his eyes leading to blindness or in his windpipe causing choking.

Animals riding in the backs of pick-up trucks are accidents waiting to happen. Once again, sudden stops, swerves, and turns can throw your dog out of the truck into harm’s way.

To curb your dog’s movements inside a vehicle while driving there are several methods to try. Most pet stores now sell inexpensive harnesses and crates so your dog can ride safely and comfortably. Try these tips before taking your dog on trips in your car.

Sit your dog in your vehicle in the driveway with the car turned off. Insist your dog sits.
Use a harness or pet carrier and confine your dog away from the driver while you are sitting in the vehicle in the driveway. Assure your dog that he is safe.
When you are sure your dog is comfortable and ready for a ride, make sure he has an empty stomach to avoid car sickness.
Make sure the dog can not get his head out the window.
Make several stops depending on the length of the drive for breaks and watering.
Instruct children not to tease or annoy the dog.
Make sure that the dog’s toenails are clipped to avoid damage to upholstery or leather.
Give the dog toys or chews to occupy his time.

And although you may have heard this before, NEVER leave your dog or cat unattended in a car. Temperatures inside a vehicle can rise rapidly causing brain damage and death. Winter temperatures can dip to levels far too cold for dogs and cats to survive. Use common sense and treat your pet as you would want to be treated.

Recycle to Save Lives

recycle symbol ink cartridge clipart

Did you know that you can turn those old ink cartridges into cash for CRUSA? Each used ink cartridge can be worth up to $2 for CRUSA. We are launching an ongoing fundraising effort to collect used ink and laser cartridges as well as old digital cell phones. Supporting CRUSA's efforts for fundraising has never been easier. All you have to do to participate is contact Lisa, our VP of Fundraising and she will send you some bags that you can fill with your used ink cartridges. Once a bag is full, just drop it in the mail. The postage is paid by the recycling company. It's really that easy. If you have laser cartridges or digital cell phones, the recycling company also pays CRUSA for these but the shipping requirements are different. If you regularly use laser cartridges or have a cell phone, contact Lisa for more information on the collection process.

If you want to help, here are some ideas how you can collect more ink cartridges:

- Ask friends and family to save them for you.

- Post a sign in your office with a collection box or other places you frequent like Curves, the grocery store, etc.

- Ask your vet if they will let you post a sign and some bags on their bulletin board. Also, ask your vet if they will collect them for you as they print a lot and use a lot of ink.

- Get your kids involved in the program by collecting at school.

- Post a "Wanted" ad on your local FREECYCLE yahoo group. (Visit www.Freecycle.org ). If you do this, we recommend you get their mailing address and a bag can be sent to their home. Traveling around to pick up one or two ink cartridges is not time or cost effective.

The program benefits CRUSA but also saves the environment by keeping this plastic out of our landfills. Not all cartridges can be recycled but most popular brands except Epson can.

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