First, here are my favorite Veterinarians in Reno:
For all vet needs but specializing in Holistic medicine and Acupuncture, take your most beloved pet to Lakeside Animal Hospital. Visit them at:
www.lakesideanimalhospital.com
775-827-8866
They are locates on Lakeside Dr by Bartley Ranch Park in Reno, NV

I also love all the vets at Pyramid Vet Hospital on Pyramid highway at York Ave. They are great vets and have been in Reno since 1982. They have 5 vets there to meet all your needs. Find them at:
www.pyramidvet.net
775-356-8323

Then there’s the fabulous staff at Baring Blvd Vet. They have a huge staff and have very late hours! They are open weekdays from 7:30 am to 8:30 pm, on Wednesday they close at 6:30pm. On Saturdays and Sunday, they are open from 8am to 4pm. You can contact them via their site at:
www.baringvet.net
775-358-6880

So that’s covers my favorite vets. Now my favorite shop is by far, hands down the PAWSitively Pets store in Damonte Ranch. They are located in the Wal-Mart shopping center by Learning Express. They have amazing staff who are all very knowledgeable on food, toys, everything really that will matter to your pets. They carry cat supplies also. Check them out! They are open till 7pm during the week and 10-6 on weekends. I buy all my dog food and toys there. Call them at 775-851-7387.

Also, there are great parks and hikes around Reno. My favorite dog park would be in Hidden Valley although I’m not fond of dog parks and you probably won’t find me at one. For Hikes, I love the Steamboat Ditch trail and really any area surrounding Reno/Sparks in the desert. We live in a great place and I love enjoying it with my dogs off leash!

I wish you all a fabulous 2011. Remember I offer all kinds of training for all kinds of dogs. Call me for a free evaluation and consultation with your dog.

As a dog trainer and someone who has worked in the veterinary world, I get questions on basic care for dogs. So I had clients email me their questions and I sat down with a local vet to see if she could help us all out with basic information for our beloved pets. Dr. Robyn Murray-Theiss at Pyramid Veterinary Hospital is a client as well as a highly respected vet that has seen a few of my dogs. She really helped clarify some questions that my clients and I have.

Question 1:
Malaika: Ok Robyn, I get a ton of questions about allergies. One of my clients now has a dog who is scratching a lot and it seems to be getting worse. What can you say about allergies that may be helpful?
Dr Murray-Theiss: Well, Allergies are really tough to just diagnose without seeing the dog. There are so many allergens out there and all dogs can react differently. Some dogs have food allergies, some have environmental allergies, and some can have both. Each would be treated quite differently!

After chatting for a while about allergies, it became clear that this is something best directed to your vet in person. There are a few things you can try, but remember, EVERY DOG IS DIFFERENT! You can try to give your dog Benadryl, be sure to contact your vet to determine if Benadryl is a viable option for your dog and to determine dosing requirements. Another thing you can try is a nice bath a few times a month or even up to once a week. Make sure you get shampoo and conditioner specific for dogs and specific for their allergy. I shop at the PAWSitively Pets store in Damonte Ranch on Damonte Ranch Parkway by Super Wal-Mart. They have a wide variety of great shampoos and skin care products and have an extremely knowledgeable staff to help you. I just bought an all natural spray there and each night before bed, I spray some on my Malinois where she is itchy and it really seems to help her scratching all night.

Question 2:
Malaika: Some of my client’s dogs eat their own feces. My clients want to know if this is because of nutritional deficiency or just a gross habit.
Dr Murray-Theiss: NO, this is not a nutritional deficiency, dogs like to eat gross things!

We talked further about this and what a gross habit it is. It can be unhealthy too, dogs can ingest parasites and worms! This habit doesn’t necessarily go away either so there are ways to train a dog to stop it. First, be sure to keep the yard clean as prevention is the best medicine. If you continue to experience problems, contact me at Dog Gone Amazing and we can go over other options to help prevent this gross habit.

Question 3:
Malaika: OK, a question I get all the time is why does urine burn the lawn?
Dr. Murray-Theiss: Yes, this is a problem we just have to deal with as dog owners. It really doesn’t matter if it is a male or female. It is all about the pH level of the urine. I strongly urge against using over the counter products that say they can help. Those just change the pH level or acidity of the urine which can then affect the liver and kidneys.

I can actually give a few simple solutions for this. I have only owned female dogs and so I am more than familiar with this problem. Female’s urine doesn’t necessarily burn the grass more than males but males mark their territory so they tend to spread out the spots where they urinate. Once again, EVERY DOG IS DIFFERENT and every dog has a totally different pH level in their urine. It can depend on if your dog is has been neutered/spayed or if they are still intact. That would lead to more hormones which may affect pH levels. Also, what you are feeding your dog can have a major effect on their pH level. What I did with my females is water the lawn more often! Not over using water, just watered more frequently with less water…. Consider it rinsing the grass! Also, you can just zero-scape your yard which is what we ended up doing!

Question 4:
Malaika: So, most people do not know what foods or plants are poisonous to their dogs. I know there a so many but can you give a few major no-no’s?
Dr Murray-Theiss: Wow, there are so many! Most people know about chocolate but also grapes and raisins are poisonous. Onions, macadamia nuts, sugar free gum. We see a lot of that at the vet hospital. Dogs love your gum!! Keep it away. There is a great website that can help answer all these questions: www.aspca.org/pet-care

Question 5:
Malaika: We are going into winter and so many people ask me about how to know when it is too cold for their dog’s feet. Is there a temperature that is too low to hike in? What about boots for dogs? Is there any other ways to protect their feet?
Dr Murray-Theiss: Yes, you definitely want to watch your dog in the snow and cold weather. Ice and sharp snow can cut their paws. Be aware of walking in weather below freezing, which is 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Work your dog up to long walks or hikes but I also recommend boots for dogs. Conversely, be careful of hot asphalt in the summer.

Question 6:
Malaika: Is it ok to feed dogs raw Marrow bones?
Dr Murray-Theiss: No. I am not a fan of morrow bones. There can be too much bacteria and dogs can get shards off of bones that can cause bad stomach upset or even cause a foreign body, that’s a bone getting stuck in their digestive tract. That can lead to surgery.

We talked about this for a while because I give my dogs raw bones all the time and have yet to experience any problems. So, once again, IT DEPENDS ON THE DOG, I think. My dogs are on a mostly raw diet so they are used to it. I am also very careful and let my dogs have the bones for a few minutes at a time, refreezing them and I make sure I am there to watch them chew on them. If the bones are outside all the time, they can get a bit nasty and harbor a ton of bacteria. I do not give cooked or smoked bones as the dog can get large chunks off and can have bad diarrhea. So be careful with raw bones. If you are interested in a raw diet for your dog, talk to your vet or contact me for some healthy ideas.

Question 7:
Malaika: Here is a question straight from a client’s mouth, “I have a friend who gives her dog baby Aspirin after long hikes or when the dog seems stiff. Is that ok?”
Dr Murray-Theiss: This is a tough one, and I would tell this person to see a vet. I will say, however, that any healthy dog should not have stiffness after any moderate to heavy exercise. That should definitely be checked out. Please be careful with self medicating your dog. Aspirin in particular can be really hard on dog’s GI tract. Also, if you have been giving your dog Aspirin, even one, then we diagnose the dog with a problem that needs specific medicine (NSAIDS or steroids), we can not treat it properly because you have been giving it Aspirin. We can’t give 2 different kinds of pain medicine. So, as I said, if your dog is healthy, and it is limping or showing signs of stiffness after walks or any time, please see your vet.

Question 8:
Malaika: Let’s talk parasites and worms! Ewwww! How often should you be de-worming your dog? What kinds of parasites affect dogs? What de-wormers do you recommend for dogs?
Dr Murray-Theiss: Good Question! Luckily here in Reno, we don’t have a ton of parasites to worry about. The main ones would be Giardia, hookworms, roundworms, and tapeworms. Remember the eating feces question? This is where they get those! Please just watch your dog. You can de-worm your dog once a year and/or keep it on monthly Heartworm prevention like HeartGard or Iverheart, all available through your vet. Around horses and livestock, once again just watch what your dog eats! These dogs may definitely benefit from a monthly de-wormer (heartworm prevention) or more frequent de-worming. Try not to let them eat horse poop!

Question 9:
Malaika: This is a spin off the above question. We talked about Heartgard prevention for worms. What about fleas and ticks?
Dr Murray-Theiss: Well, we do not have a big problem with fleas in Reno/Tahoe/Sparks. They cannot survive well in this climate. But if you travel at all, I highly recommend a flea treatment. Ticks are another story. They may not be in Reno, but they are in the desert areas and they are coming over the mountains from California. So, for safety, it is best to also add flea/tick prevention year round, depending, once again, on your dog and where you go with your dog or where you live.

Question 10:
Malaika: Now on to rattlesnakes. Are they deadly? What can we do to prevent bites or what should we do when our dog has been bitten?
Dr Murray-Theiss: Wow, well I just took some continuing education classes on rattlesnakes and this can be a complicated question, but a rattle snake bite CAN be deadly and your dog should be taken IMMEDIATELY to a vet if it has been bitten! The severity of the bite depends on the location of the bite and how much venom was injected (each case is different). But the take home message here is to seek veterinary attention as soon as possible. The rattlesnake that is most common here is the Western Rattlesnake. To avoid bites, you can try the Rattlesnake avoidance class, or just try to hike really high into the pine trees where there are less snakes. The worst time for snakes is in the spring and fall. Check out the NDOW website for more info on local snakes and their avoidance classes.

Question 11:
Malaika: This is kind of my own question because I get asked this all the time and it seems to be a very controversial topic. When should you spay or neuter your dog? And why should you spay or neuter your dog?
Dr Murray-Theiss: This can be controversial. Basically, all dogs should be fixed between 6-9 months of age. For females, you should spay them BEFORE their first heat cycle, it reduces the risk of mammary cancer by up to 80%! There is no psychological impact spaying or neutering your dog and it will not change their personality. They are still happy, healthy dogs.

If you do not fix your dog, there are things you should be aware of: A male, intact dog can smell a female in heat for at least 3-5 miles away. A male dog will do just about anything to get to a female in heat including running across roads and risking getting hit by a car. On the flip side, a female in heat can be a mess. My dog’s first heat cycle was 2.5 months long.

So, there are all the questions I got from my clients. I hope this helps but please remember, your vet is there for you no matter how silly you think the question is. If you have any concerns about your dog, please call, or schedule an appt with your vet!

Thank you Robyn for your help!
You can find Dr. Robyn Murray at Pyramid Vet Hospital at 775-356-8323
You can find me at
www.doggoneamazing.com

Reno has gotten a new dog trainer in town. Malaika Heinbaugh, owner and head trainer of Dog Gone Amazing, has worked with animals her whole life.
“I always knew this was what I was born to do,” she said.
Dog Gone Amazing is different than other dog training companies in Reno. Heinbaugh delivers the highest level of obedience by offering lifetime training for your dog.
“I want my clients to be able to always fine tune their dogs amazing behavior,” she said.
Training happens not in a facility, it’s done at home and in public settings such as a park, so owners learn to handle their pets in all areas of life no matter what the distraction may be.
Dog Gone Amazing offers a free, no obligation demonstration at home or nearby park.
“We firmly believe that the proof is in the pudding,” Heinbaugh said. “You should see exactly what you can get before committing to lifetime training for your dog.”
The most important differences between Dog Gone Amazing and traditional training programs, is consistency. Heinbaugh and her staff use remote collar training as a light tap to get the dog’s attention so the commands come clearly and with focus.
“In essence this is like having an endlessly long invisible leash,” she said. “This overcomes the tendency of dogs to lose focus in certain situations where they may be distracted, an area where many other training methods fail.”
Remote collar training, done correctly and not as a correction based tool, can be the most useful, wireless communication for dogs. When Heinbaugh and her clients’ dogs are off leash they focus despite serious distractions.
Heinbaugh and her staff at Dog Gone Amazing Inc. pride themselves on lifelong, consistent training with a happy dog.
“We provide dog training for real life,” she said. According to a press release, others agree.
Christy Cranmer, original founder of Scraps Dog Company, says she has seen thousands of dogs over the last 13 years of owning Scraps stores that could have benefitted from such effective, fast training.
“I would recommend this training for most dogs,” she said. “This training is the best!”
And Cheryl McCuistion, who has worked at animal hospitals for 24 years, considers Heinbaugh a great trainer.
“Malaika is a refreshing change,” she said. “She is knowledgeable, dedicated and experienced with all types of dogs. Not only will you teach your dog, you will develop a relationship with your furry companion for life.”
Heinbaugh’s foundation for success has been built on a strong medical background from years spent in the veterinary field combined with the knowledge gained from attending several dog training schools and owning her own pet sitting/dog walking business first. She is canine CPR certified and has trained dogs for about five years.
The Dog Gone Amazing staff consists of two trainers, a licensed veterinary technician, a bookkeeper and a receptionist. Malaika and her staff attend continuing education training seminars every few months. Dog Gone Amazing is licensed and insured.

I wanted to take a moment to say thank you and tell you how much your excellent customer service meant to me. Unfortunately, it seems rare these days for people to stand behind either their word or product – I am thrilled: Dog Gone Amazing does not fall into that category!

I remember the first time you came to our house for the no-obligation, free consultation and the words you used describing the product you sell and train with; and, how one of the benefits of buying the dogtra system from you, is you would act as an intermediary with the company, should there be any unanticipated problems with the product. This made an impression on me.

When Otis Joe’s collar suddenly and unexpectedly did not work one morning I thought I must not have charged it properly the night before. After trying to recharge twice again, once even using a different outlet, I realized something was wrong. I couldn’t help but think, “Oh boy, here we go”.

I gave you an after-hours call, leaving a message to give you a heads up; to my great surprise you called back that evening & left me a message! The next morning we spoke about the situation and within 3 hours, you were very accommodating, at my office, delivering a replacement collar and transmitter – completely hassle free & happy to help! WOW. You stood by your word 100%.

The new collar is functioning beautifully. I can not express how happy everyone in our household is, and how very important it was to have a replacement collar within hours versus having to be without it for 2-3 weeks. We train with the collar every day without fail. The e-collar system coupled with the training we received from you truly has been a life saver for our dog-family situation (keeping our pup in our house) and none of us can imagine being without it for an extended time.

To make a long story short: thank-you, thank-you, and thank-you. Our gratitude goes out to you and may you reap the rewards of fabulous customer service many times over. Since working with you, I have enthusiastically referred you to any person or family even thinking about adding a dog/puppy to their lives If ever anyone would like to speak to a happy client please do not hesitate to provide us as a reference. And, Otis Joe says thank you too, for providing the tool his family needed to be able to set boundaries, limits and expectations for him in a way he could understand and they could execute!

See you soon,
Kimberly E. Drakulich

Dog Gone Amazing Diaries: Issue 2
“Straight from the Dog’s Mouth”

Jackson’s Perfect Day
Ahhhhh, Sunday! What a great day! It all starts with me waking up in the sun by the window, my favorite spot! My human mom lets me out to go to the bathroom which I can do on command in a certain area of the yard so I don’t make a mess where the humans play. Then I get a delicious breakfast while I sit patiently waiting. My mom drinks her cup of coffee and I get to cuddle with her on the couch. Sometimes, on especially lazy Sundays, we lie down together and sleep for another hour. I love being in my mom’s arms. We sleep so nice together and I know that she loves me more than anything, and I return the love. After we wake up, we both go outside and bask in the sun together. It seems we are on the same communication wavelength, I understand all of her human commands and she totally gets me too.
After a nap and some sun it is finally time to get the day started. My mom and I get in the car and go for a drive. I love sitting next to her in the passenger’s seat and she trusts that I will just sit there and be good. As we pull up to Home Depot, my excitement gets the best of me and I let out a little whine. “Quiet,” she says. Oh yeah, sorry Mom! I just love this place. I don’t even need a leash. I just cruise next to my mom and everybody comes and gives me such wonderful pets. Our communication is so clear that she can practically whisper. I hear other Humans ask her about how I got to be such a good a dog, how she can remain so calm while her dog is off leash. She talks a bit about my awesome trainer, Malaika with Dog Gone Amazing. People laugh and say, “Well, your dog is AMAZING!” I just hold my head high and soak it all in and so does my mom. After Home Depot, we go on a great hike for a few hours. This is where I get to run and chase things… bunnies are my favorite, and one of these days I’m gonna catch one!! Mom can trust that I will stay close and even if I do get too far, she easily calls me back or tells me to sit while she catches up. I love HIKES!!
That concludes my day. I am so tired after my wonderful Sunday. My mom and dad top it off with some treats and delicious dinner and I am out like a light!!
It is so nice to have a day with my human parents that are full of love and exercise and new adventures and things to do. When I am on leash, you wouldn’t know it, I just walk next to my Mom and hang out with her with lots of slack in the leash. I feel so bad for the dogs that I see pulling on the leash choking themselves. It’s too bad their parents haven’t been to Dog Gone Amazing so they can learn to communicate like my human parents and I do.
When we go for hikes in the hills, I can run as far and hard as I want and she can always still communicate with me. Ever since meeting Malaika with Dog Gone Amazing when I was just 4 months old, my world has become my oyster. There is nothing I can’t learn or do and I go everywhere because my human parents are fully confident in the training and they trust me anywhere. I quickly learned to trust that they will always guide and protect me, never leading me into harm. I have also learned that if I listen to them consistently, I learn new things and go new places. Life IS good!!

If you to want an Amazing Dog, Call Malaika at 775-742-0022 or 800-734-6795.
You can also visit her website at www.doggoneamazing.com
Jackson is a 1 year old Min Aussie Shepherd

Bailey’s Board and Train, June 2009
Week 1
My human owners dropped me off a week ago with a trainer, her name is Malaika. I was nervous and frustrated and felt a bit abandoned at first but Malaika’s three female pointers welcomed me with inquisitive yet friendly sniffs and wagging tails. We romped and played for a bit and then the training really began. There was something about this trainer that made the communication so clear and obvious to me that her commands came quickly and, within a few days, I knew exactly what come, sit and heel meant. I couldn’t believe it and the best part was that we were already going on fun walks. Off leash walks where I could run and chase squirrels and when Malaika said come, I’d come right back. My world began to open up as I understood that I could just be a dog and chase balls, examine lizards, and greet new dogs in a friendly way; but when I was asked to do something, like sit, or come, I would. The sooner I listened, the more fun and freedom I got. All I ever wanted to do was run and sniff and play and enjoy life off leash. This is what this trainer was teaching me. I started seeing this as a mutual trust and respect between me and the humans who are giving me commands. No more boring leash walks on the hard sidewalk. I got to run!

Week 2
I started realizing at the end of week one why my owners had left me with this amazing trainer. Our walks before were so frustrating and confusing. Even though my owners were trying their best and taking me out often, I could feel the tension they had. If they dare let me off leash, I would run and take off while they stood there yelling at me and stomping their feet. I never understood what they were saying or what they meant. I was just off leash and playing. I must admit, sometimes I knew what they wanted but really, what could they do about it? I was ½ a mile away from them at this point. So they started leaving me on the leash and I was so bored that when I got home, I couldn’t fight my urge to dig or bark or chew things up. I knew no one was there to stop me. Well, at Malaika’s house, things really changed. I learned that I could be off leash and still would be asked to listen but with this style of training, I had no options of getting away with things. She seemed to always be there, physically or not. She showed me with patience and clear understanding what the commands meant before she was sure that on or off leash I would listen. She taught me that with or without distractions, come meant come and heel meant heel. There was no grey area or me just deciding I wasn’t going to listen, and Malaika rewarded me with all the luxuries a dog could want. I got to learn to swim (my new favorite thing), I learned how to play fetch and how to play well with other dogs, even new, unfamiliar dogs that we came across on our walks.

Week 3
This has turned out to be the most fun a dog could have! I am realizing that I can be a real dog. Malaika has dropped me off at home and my owners were so happy that I was there and I was so happy to be home. I just hoped that my parents would continue with this great training that I have gone through. I was secretly hoping that Malaika would teach them all the things she taught me and tell them about all the fun times we had and what a good girl I was. Well, my wish came true and Malaika went over everything. We had continuing classes and I still get to see all my dog friends (including Malaika’s three pointers, who taught me a thing or too about hunting) at the group classes. Malaika loves to see me and I can tell that she misses having me around. I am proud now of whom I’ve become and my owners are proud and impressed too! Life has become so amazing for me and so full of fun and adventure, but most of all I love the relationship I have with my owners: Trust and respect!

Thank you Malaika and Dog Gone Amazing Dog Training
Bailey

“I admit we sometimes would not take Bailey on regular walks because she was out of control about not coming back to us when told. We could not trust her off leash. Bailey was in Malaika’s board and train program and it was a dream come true for us. Now, Bailey is a very well behaved and happy dog. She is exercised daily runs in the hills by our home and I trust she will always come back when told. As she does! Plus, we get so many compliments on her behavior. Thank you, Malaika, for brining out the AMAZING in our Bailey!”
-Jeff and Donna Rotsma

This is a great article from Canine Magic’s website.

Hope you enjoy it!