Dogs that Go Missing in Action

Recently, my neighbor called me to help her return a dog that was sitting outside her fence gate.  The unknown terrier mix , later identified, as Rudy, was attracted to her property because her dogs were in their back yard.  Not knowing the history of the dog, she was afraid to approach Rudy.  Fortunately, he turned out to be extremely friendly toward people and other dogs.

Rudy had a city registration tag on his collar but it was unreadable due to it’s age, 2002.  A spot check of nearby homes did not result in finding anyone who knew to whom Rudy belonged.  There wasn’t time to take Rudy to the humane society the same day, so I took a picture of him and uploaded it onto the shelter’s website.  I  hoped his owner would find the picture and know that Rudy was being well cared for during his absence.

The following day, I took Rudy to the Michigan Humane Society to have him scanned for a microchip.  Hopefully, one would be found and I would be able to return Rudy to his owner without him having to spend any time in the shelter.  Sadly though, he did not have a microchip.  Therefore, I checked him into the shelter knowing that they would place a hold on him for four days, to give his owner time to find him before placing him up for adoption, provided he successfully passed the temperament evaluation.  After having spent the night with Rudy and being a dog behavior expert myself, I knew he would pass such an evaluation with flying colors.

Fortunately, Rudy’s story has a very happy ending.  As I waited for Rudy to be checked into the shelter, his owner entered the shelter lobby joyfully exclaiming, “you found my dog!”  As it turned out, Rudy had travelled approximately ten blocks during his neighborhood exploration.

Early this morning, I saw two adult Rottweilers running loose on Wayne Road in Westland, Michigan.  At first they would not come to me but with some encouragement, they jumped into my truck for a ride and some pet massages.  Fortunately, they had stayed together during their outdoor adventure as one of them didn’t have any tags on his collar.  The female Rottweiler had a city registration tag but no further identifying information.  Therefore, I took them to the Michigan Humane Society in Westland, Michigan.  

Due to it being a Sunday, the shelter was closed.  However, have no fear, a Westland Police Officer saved the day.  He appeared on scene and assisted me with placing the dogs in kennels and giving them food and water at the shelter.  Due to the female having a city tag, I am sure they will be home with their owners tomorrow.  It’s just unfortunate that they didn’t have a phone number on their collar.  If so, I would’ve been able to return them to the owner on the same day.

These recent events point out how crucial it is to have identification on your dog so your loved one can be returned to you as soon as possible.  

To protect your pet:  

• Register your dog with your city hall and place the tag on your dog’s collar,

• Place your cellular telephone number on your dog’s collar, 

• Ask your veterinarian to microchip your dog,

• Ensure your dog’s outdoor play area is secure preventing your dog from jumping over or digging under the fence,

• Spend more time with your dog when he/she is outdoors to prevent your dog from becoming bored and seeking an escape route, and

• Train your dog to come, stay, and not to bolt out doorways by joining a dog training class or by hiring a professional dog trainer for in home training.  

If you follow these tips, hopefully your dog will never become one of the missing.  But if the unfortunate happens and your dog goes missing in action, you will have peace of mind that you took the steps necessary to aid your dog’s safe return.

For professional dog training in Michigan, contact Michael Burkey at MichiganDogTrainer.com, 734-634-4152.

Zeke, from highly excitable to a calm state of mind

I recently had the distinct pleasure of working with Zeke, an English Bull Terrier and his loving parents, Dr. Glen and Mrs. McClure and their staff at Strong Veterinary Hospital, Livonia, Michigan.  Zeke had the problem of becoming overly aroused when meeting people which resulted in him mouthing their hands, jumping on their legs and nipping their pant legs.  Some people misinterpreted his behavior as being aggressive but it was not.  Instead, it was pent up energy and a lack of appropriate meeting behaviors.

To modify Zeke's behavior, he participated in my board and train program.  His behavior plan focused on preventing situations he wasn't ready for, managing his environment, and teaching him new alternative desired behaviors.  Regular exercise was also introduced to Zeke via individual and group dog walks at local parks via my Outdoor Adventure and Remote Adventure classes.  This exposed Zeke to new challenging environments with the distraction of other dogs being present.

Because of Zeke's high energy, the use of a remote training collar, used at a low setting was crucial to his training program.  Zeke quickly learned how to self compose himself and offer appropriate greeting behaviors.  The remote training collar (also known as a "shock collar") does not hurt the dog but instead is like a tap on the shoulder to get his attention.  Through follow up sessions with the McClure's, the technical knowledge of how to utilize the remote collar correctly and humanely was easily transferred so that Zeke would also listen to his parents.

During a recent follow up session, Dr. McClure advised he is now able to relax and enjoy his evenings with Zeke, Zeke is much calmer in their home, and he now greets his veterinary staff with a much calmer demeanor.





For professional dog training in Michigan, contact Michael Burkey at http://www.MichiganDogTrainer.com, info@MichiganDogTrainer.com, 734-634-4152.