Nauset Kennels

It’s that time of year again - time for our 2nd Annual AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day here at the kennel. While we are very excited to spend a weekend with friends, colleagues and lots of dogs, we are also excited to be able to spread the word about responsible dog ownership.

We started spreading the word last weekend with our float for the Windmill Weekend Parade, where our theme promoted cleaning up after your pet. As we walked, we handed out Mutt Mitts and dog biscuits. Being responsible obviously involves more than just cleaning up after your pet, but this is a part of ownership that is commonly overlooked and is a problem that can have ripple effects on many others. If you own a dog, scoop the poop!

Our fabulous pinwheel logo represents the other six important facets of being a good dog owner:

Veterinary care
Regular bathing and grooming
Exercise
Proper Nutrition
Training
Love and attention

All are important and not one trumps the other. And realistically, the cost does not have to be exorbitant and stretch your budget, stressing you out.

Veterinary care can be expensive, but well worth it if you know what you are paying for. Do your research and ask questions. Be attentive to your pet’s dental health at home and you can save quite a bit of money while adding potential years to your dog’s life. Research pet insurance and see if it makes sense for you. Find a vet that is willing to work with you financially, but remember that they have bills too.

Bathe your dog at home. Run that brush over him often (daily is best, but I’m realistic too!!). Either learn how to give a basic dog cut or invest in regular grooming. If you want to save money don’t avoid the groomer - avoidance leads to a much more expensive grooming session and can potentially cause skin problems for your pet.

Exercise. It’s free to walk down the street with your dog or throw the ball for her in the back yard. And just think - you can save money on your own gym membership if you go for long walks with your furry friend!

Shop around for a good food for your dog. Just today a customer bemoaned the fact that the cheaper the dog food, the more her dog loves it! Not all of us can afford to buy premium dog food, nor do we necessarily need to. Again, ask around. Unless your dog has special dietary requirements, you may be just fine feeding a non-premium food.

Borrow some books and DVDs from the library on training. Ask questions of others. Find inexpensive classes and build on the foundation with practice.

Love. Free and easy to give! How can you not shower your pet with love? No matter how busy life gets, make time for your pet. It benefits both of you!

Being a responsible dog owner doesn’t require a lot of money for many of us; however, it would be foolish to assume that pets don’t have expenses. Be responsible BEFORE taking on a pet and consider the what-ifs. What if I have to move - can I bring my pet? What if my pet needs surgery - can I afford it? What if our schedules are hectic - is it fair to have a pet if I don’t have time to spend with it? The list is long and thought-provoking, but an essential first exercise in being a responsible pet owner.

As I look outside today at the rain pouring out of the sky, I cannot believe how beautiful and perfect the weather was yesterday for our first annual AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day. We faced quite a bit of competition, from Doxie Day on Chapin Beach (what a sight that must have been!) to CASAS in Provincetown hosting their pet parade and other events.

However, it was more than just the weather - everything about the day was just perfect! Even though we had very little time to plan, it all came together because of all the people involved.

Thank you to everyone who volunteered to give up a Saturday, fitting us in around family, kids, school, work and other interests. We all believe in responsible dog ownership and obviously think it is important to get the word out. The following is a list of all who participated yesterday:

- Agway, Jessica Wile and “Lucy”
- Companion Animal Program, Jan and her volunteers, Susan and Judy
- Higher Groung Dog Training, Amber Milliken and her assistant, Mike
- Boy Scouts of America, Eastham Troop 83
- Cape Cod DART (Disaster Animal Response Team), represented by Cathy Herrick
- Cape K9, Anne Corrigan and “Diesel” and “Foxy,” showing their birding skills
- Austin, my fabulous raffle helper
- The Sampson Fund, Dr. Joan Goffi and Lotti Austin from Paw Prints
- Bark Busters, Jason Santos
- For the Love of the Breed, Andrea, her husband, Russ, and her groomer, Angie
- Real World Dog Training, Sandi Provost
- Dogwatch of Cape Cod, Randy and Holly Hoyt
- Underdogs, Dana and Colleen Medeiros and their very well-behaved Boxer
- Animal Rescue League, Dawn Lee
- Tail Waggin’ Dog Training, represented by Janice Bodamer
- Cape Cod Dog, represented by Leanne and Earthborn Food representative, Mary Medeiros
- CARE (Cape Animal Referral and Emergency), Vicky Shaw, Julie and her husband Joe, and Nancy Bishop who was kind enough to provide our “eye candy” with agility demonstrations and her husband, Jerry!
- Charlene Poliquin, Red Cross Pet First Aid and CPR (even though the class was cancelled due to lack of enrollment, thank you for being at the ready!)
- Eastham Elks for donating chairs

- Eastham Police Department for helping us coordinate parking

All of the above also donated to our amazing raffle prizes. The raffles were impressive, totaling over two thousand dollars worth of give-aways. Together, we raised over $700 for the Grace and Elliot Marks Foundation, helping to defray the cost of spaying and neutering pets. In addition to the above donors, we also received donations from:

Wellfleet Cinemas, The Red Barn, Ben & Jerry’s of Eastham, The Fairway, The Chocolate Cafe, Willy’s Gym, Chatham Beach Dog, Mermaids on Main, The Left Bank Gallery, Impulse Gallery, Amy Sanders, Amy Sarmento, Rebecca Lach, Sam’s Deli, PJ’s Restaurant, Messina’s Restaurant, Dr. Jim Lear, Nauset Auto, Four Points Sheraton, Eastham Ace Hardware, Leslee Branco, T-Time Driving Range, Cape Cod Five , Lucky Pet pet products, Premier Pet Products, and Red Dingo pet products.

As with any event, big or small, there are lots of helpers without whom the event cannot go on. I am so thankful for all of the help, and so impressed with how you all stepped up to the plate and went above and beyond in so many ways. Kirsten and I are so lucky to be surrounded by amazing people.

Our employees and friends: Joanne (you were right, we did need to hold the event!), Betsy, Jules, Veronica, Carrie, Leslee, and Katie. Please know that we truly value you. You constantly impress us with your level of care and ability to go beyond the expected.

Our friends: Karen, Hanna, my parents (for babysitting so I could actually plan this event), Michael, Sandy, Will, Ken, and Binky at Camp Wingate*Kirkland and all of our dogs who agreed to come spend the day with us: “Koto,” “Riley,” “Hannah,” “Molly” and “Hazel,” “Marley,” “Tobey,” “Paddy,” “Macey,” “Lee” and “Merlin.”

And of course, thank you to everyone who showed up, with or without their dogs! We has so much fun meeting you and your animals: “Glory,” “Indy,” “Rory,” “Bella,” “Devon,” “Tug,” “Moose,” “Diego,” “Toby,” “Shaun” & “Rory,” and many others.

We are already looking forward to next year’s Second Annual AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day in September of 2010. May the weather be just as beautiful!

So you think you’re a responsible dog owner? Take this quick quiz to find out.

1. Is your dog up to date on all yearly vaccines?

2. Do you administer heartworm preventative?

3. Do you regularly brush your dog’s (or cat) teeth?

4. Is your dog within healthy weight guidelines?

5. Does your dog know basic training commands?

6. Is your dog wearing a collar with

current owner information?

7. Is your dog microchipped?

If you answered yes to all of the above, then kudos to you! You are responsible to your pet’s needs.

Many of us would probably answer yes to some of the questions above, fully knowing that we should be answering yes to all of them. Quite honestly, our dogs teeth haven’t been brushed since, well, since ever! We absolutely know that we should be doing this, but we don’t. And I can’t even really tell you why we don’t!

We are working hard coordinating a day that will help us all be better dog owners, even those of you already ahead of the game. On September 26 from 12-4 we are hosting the AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day. Seminars, pet first-aid and CPR, raffles, and other fun things are planned to promote responsible dog ownership.

I have to admit that I originally said no to hosting this event. It was the last week in August and we were in the end of summer scramble with kids out of camp, but not in school. The kennel was still rocking and rolling and we were trying to put together a float for the Windmill Weekend parade. I didn’t feel confident that we could pull everyone together so quickly. However, Joanne correctly adjusted my opinion saying, “How can we not host this day?”

You see, we are also the “pound” for the wandering dogs in our area. And, by the very nature of our business, we see responsible and irresponsible dog ownership daily in many ways (including the fact that I don’t brush our dogs’ teeth!!). Some examples that really prompted us to host this event:

This summer, one of our local animal control officers brought in a dog that had been left in a hot car. The owner, angry and feeling affronted, could not understand why his dog was removed from his car. Another town continues to bring in the nicest set of dogs on a regular basis, who routinely wander from home and get picked up by the animal control officer. While we love having them visit, it is scary thinking that they might be hit by a car or something like that. And many of our dogs who board with us are a bit pudgy and like us, will suffer in the long-term from the extra weight.

Needless to say, I could go on and on with our reasons for hosting this event. I hope you can all join us, responsible pet owner or not :)

Saturday, September 26, 2009 from 12-4 at Nauset Kennels, 2685 Nauset Road in Eastham. Call to pre-register for the Pet First-Aid/CPR class (offered from 11-3, for $45). Bring your dogs responsibly - on leash!! See you there!