Hank vs. Vacation Update

We made it through virtually unscathed! Hank required more attention than I am used to when traveling with a dog... I guess he is just high maintenance. However, he was not the most naughty dog in the hotel this weekend. That honor goes to the pooch that barked incessantly all night and day. It didn't bother me, though, I was just glad it wasn't my dog that people complained about.

Hank did bark occasionally when we left the room, but I'm told by housekeeping that he settled quickly. Ah, the power of a stuffed Kong! We did get creative about keeping him busy and one night even set up a little agility course in the room. He had to jump over or crawl under tables while Vinny and I played keep-away with his Cuz ball.

Vinny took it upon himself to exercise Hank the most, and this is what he came up with:




If you have any question as to whether or not Hank enjoyed skating with Vinny, take a look at this photo I snapped.

Hank had more fun times this weekend that I will try to post about soon.

Fatal Leptospirosis Case in Williamsburg

As reported in AMNY, a 6 year old rat terrier named Parker died after contracting Leptospirosis, likely from McCarren Park in Williamsburg.

Please check out the AMNY article as well as the FIDO in Prospect Park fact sheet on the disease so that you know how to protect your dog.

Hank vs. Vacation

It's been a while since I've added a Hank vs.... post. I guess there are fewer and fewer "firsts" in his life now. However, Vinny and I have planned to take the holiday weekend off and get out of the city. We're just taking a 3 day weekend in Connecticut. Simple, quick, easy trip. But we are bringing the dog. (dun dun dun-dun) His first vacation.

I have traveled with dogs a lot. Charleston and I took a week long road trip once covering Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Washington DC and everything in between. I took Magic on a week long vacation in Charleston, SC so I'm pretty comfortable traveling with my dogs.

Hank is another story, though. He is super active and immature. If he's bored for a millisecond he's sure to start chewing something I'd rather he didn't. And here's the kicker, I still don't trust his housetraining. We will be staying in a hotel and I have to come up with a plan to keep him well behaved while we're there.

Here's the plan so far. We are leaving Thursday evening, so he is going to go to an extra day of daycare on Thursday. Weather permitting, I will run with him every morning (or late morning, it is vacation after all). If I can sneak him into the fitness room I'd love to get him trained to run a treadmill. I am packing all of the food puzzle toys we have and he will not eat out of a bowl once. I am in the process of investigating dog daycare in Mystic. If you know of any good daycares or dog runs, let me know!

What are your ideas for occupying a busy dog?

Worst Dad Ever?

I'm not sure if this guy is the worst Dad in the world, or just a really weak man in a bad position. Read his Craigslist ad and tell me what you think.

Actor needed for emotional role � One day high pay

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Date: 2009-04-17, 12:52PM EDT

My deceased aunt gave my two kids a Cocker Spaniel a few months back. The dog has been a terror and become overwhelming for me. I am a single father raising two young children. I cannot face telling the kids that the dog must go. I have found a good home for the dog, and just need someone to transport the dog, and play the villain.

Premise: You will be the dog walker hired by daddy (me) to walk Skittles. I will introduce you to the kids, and you will tell them you are going to help Skittles get her exercise when Daddy is too busy to walk her. At that point you will walk Skittles to your car and take her to her new family 20 minutes from my place. Then return holding just a leash. The story will be that Skittles broke free of the leash and took off. At this point prepare for crying, things being thrown at you, and possibly cursing. My kids are young and dramatic, their girls.

Pay will be $500. The job will take roughly 2 hours at best.

This job is ideal for an actor looking to diversify their role base, or someone who genuinely likes to make children cry. Acting experience is a plus, but not necessary. Please inform me of any prior experience in this kind of situation.

• Location: DC, MD, VA
• it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
• Compensation:

Summer Snow Anniversary

Yesterday marked the 1 year anniversary of our summer snow party with Charleston. In honor of his memory I'm re-posting this.

We did it! We got 600 lbs of crushed ice for Charleston.

To catch you up, our 5 year Lab, Charleston, has an inoperable tumor called a Fibrosarcoma in his mouth. He will likely not live through the summer so we have been doing everything we can think of (thanks to everyone that has contributed ideas so far) to spoil him rotten and make his last weeks as fun and comfortable as possible.

So, one of Charleston's favorite things ever is snow. Since he won't be around for winter, Vinny had over 600 lbs of crushed ice delivered by the good people at Tullo Ice (who threw in a bag for free) in an attempt to mimic snow for him. Of course the day we planned to do it turned out to be the hottest day of the year, but it was still super fun.

It worked better than we could have imagined. Check it out:



Video courtesy of Snow Route, Inc.

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Last Weekend's Seminar

My apologies to those of you that tried to reach me this weekend (or tried to schedule an appointment). I was attending a 3 day seminar with the preeminent Animal Behaviorist Dr. Ian Dunbar and Dr. Nicholas Dodman of Tufts University, one of the top Veterinary Behaviorists.

It was time intensive and a terrific opportunity to learn from two greats in the field. Though the lectures were fairly basic, I did take away some terrific new ideas on aggression, OCD, fear and other canine behavior issues. I especially liked Dr. Dodman's presentations because he had a lot to share about new medical treatments for behavioral issues. They also gave us a sneak peek of some exciting things coming up in the field of training.

One of the best parts of the weekend was seeing several of my colleagues and friends. Often, I only see these people at events like this so it's nice to catch up with how everyone is doing. I even met a couple of fellow "twitterers."

Continuing education as a dog trainer is terribly important. New ideas and techniques are always out there and I want to make sure I know about them. Special thanks to St. Hubert's for hosting the event.

New Vet in Carroll Gardens

As reported in A Brooklyn Life, Carroll Gardens is about to get a new vet.


The address is 455 Court Street, right next to Frankie's 457. No word on when they will open or what their services will be like. If you are among their first clients, let me know what you think!