Picking a Pup - Free Workshop
The Maynard Dog Owners Group, Inc. (MayDOG) and Tumeria Langlois, ABCDT, a certified dog trainer and owner of Sirius Dawg Training, are joining together to offer a FREE workshop on “Picking a Pup” on Saturday, December 5, 2009 at 1pm the Maynard Public Library.
“We are thrilled about this opportunity to provide people who are thinking about getting a puppy or new dog with the information they need to pick the right dog for their family,” says Lisa Lines, MayDOG’s president. “This workshop is the second this year in our series of free educational workshops about responsible dog ownership.”
At this interactive workshop, attendees will learn about such important topics as: Are you ready for a new dog or puppy? When and where should you get your puppy or dog? Purebred, mixed breed, or All-American mutt? Which breeds are best for which lifestyles? How can you gain insight into a puppy’s or dog’s personality in just a few minutes? In addition, MayDOG and Sirius Dawg Training will be giving away coupons, handouts, and free samples of dog food. The Maynard Public Library is located at 77 Main Street, Maynard. Plenty of free parking is available on site.
“It’s important to involve the whole family in the process of getting a new puppy or dog,” says Tumeria Langlois, owner of Sirius Dawg Training. “This workshop will provide you with the information you’ll need to confidently assess if you’re ready for a dog, and if so, how to find the right dog for your lifestyle.”
This workshop is free, but registration is recommended. Call 978-310-3364 (978-3310-DOG) and leave your name, phone number, and the number of attendees — or register online at www.maydog.org.
Download the flyer for this event here.
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Founded in 2008, the Maynard Dog Owners Group (MayDOG) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community organization. MayDOG’s mission is to promote responsible dog ownership and help build community through safe, legal off-leash recreation in Maynard, MA and the surrounding areas. MayDOG is working to create a fenced dog park in Maynard. Other activities include holding social events, sponsoring a walking group, developing and distributing educational materials about responsible pet care, conducting workshops on training and dog behavior, promoting pet emergency preparedness and first aid programs, and encouraging dog-friendly businesses. For more information, please visit www.maydog.org.
Tumeria Langlois, ABCDT, is the owner of Sirius Dawg Training in Maynard, MA, which offers professional, individual pet dog training and other services, including dog walking and Reiki. Ms. Langlois is an experienced trainer of both humans and animals and received her dog training certification from Animal Behavior College. For more information, please visit www.siriusdawg.com.
Free Spaying Available
The Tufts Veterinary School is now offering a FREE SPAY program through a clinic for third-year vet students, who are supervised by an attending veterinarian.
This program is for female dogs only. Dogs must be between 3 months and 7 years of age, and must weigh between 10 and 60 pounds. The clinic cannot accept short-snouted dogs like pugs and boxers. Dogs must be in good health and have current rabies and distemper shots. The spay clinic includes a heartworm test, which is also free.
To book an appointment or learn more, please email Sue Carbone or call her at 508-887-4326.
Spring 2009 Town-wide Clean-up
Maynard’s spring town-wide clean-up starts next Saturday, April 18. Since we are all out and about with our dogs on a regular basis, we are in a unique position to see litter — including dog poop that other, less responsible dog owners have failed to clean up. I urge you all to take this opportunity to help make our town a better place by picking up litter around your house, your street, and your neighborhood. Learn more about the Litter League and this spring’s schedule here.
The Assabet River Rail Trail (ARRT) will be having a trail walk and clean-up on Sunday, 4/19. Meet in the parking lot behind CVS pharmacy at 1pm. I know many of us walk on the trail with our dogs — let’s give back for a couple of hours and make the trail a better place for all of us.
Family Dogs
Nice article in the Boston Globe from March 29, 2009: Why we treat our pets like royalty.
Modern pet ownership has been transformed by our evolution in recent decades into a less connected, lonelier society. Four-legged companionship matters more than ever… In an atomized era, the growing amount of time and money we collectively spend on pets is an indication of how much we thirst for community, leaning on animals for support once provided by other humans.
“Social networks fragmented over 40 years - there’s more living alone, more divorce, more childless people, fewer people living in close geographic range of their families, and less community involvement,” Serpell says. “As we lose social support, as our relations become fragmented, we are using dogs to fill the gap.”
Research suggests that a lonelier society may be more willing to see human qualities in pets. In a 2007 article, University of Chicago professor Nicholas Epley and three colleagues determined that subjects who were less socially connected were more likely to attribute human emotional characteristics to dogs.
Interesting and thought-provoking stuff!
Free pet safety pack from the ASPCA
Here’s a nice offer from the ASPCA for a free safety pack, including a pet rescue window decal (alerts rescue personnel that pets are inside your home) and an ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center magnet.
Reasons to Pick Up After Your Dog
In case you had any doubts… MayDOG strongly encourages Maynard dog owners to do the right thing, every time, everywhere, and pick up after your dog. If we are so lucky as to get an off-leash recreation area in Maynard, have no doubt that Rule Number One will be that dog owners must pick up.
- It’s the law. Just like littering, it’s unlawful NOT to pick up after your dog, and your violation is subject to fine. The MayDOG Dog Owners Group strongly supports tough fines against people who do not pick up after their dogs.
- It’s common courtesy. Cleaning up after your dogs shows respect for our neighbors and our community. Only irresponsible dog owners leave their dog’s poop for others to look at, step in or clean up.
- It’s not fertilizer! In fact, poop impedes landscaping efforts. Leaving dog poop encourages other dogs to mark that spot (by urinating over the previous dog’s scent): poop left on the grass contributes to the problem of “nitrogen burn.”
- Dog poop tops the list of complaints against dogs. More than dog aggression, nuisance barking or unsupervised dogs, most complaints against dogs are about people not cleaning up after their dogs. This is true for city parks, sidewalks, and your neighbors’ lawns.
- Dog poop makes dog owners look bad. For everyone who cares about dogs, the worst thing about dog poop is that it is bad for public relations. Dog Poop is the number one reason for negative public sentiment against dogs. Every time you don’t pick up after your dog, you are giving one more reason for others to dislike dogs and dog owners.
Download our brochure for the rest.
