Several months ago I posted an entry regarding a CD titled "Through a Dog's Ear Volume 1 - Music to Calm Your Canine Companion". My initial entry commented on many favorable comments I had heard from other canine professionals. I'm happy to report that my own experience with the CD has been very positive.

"Shep", one of my own dogs adopted at 6 months of age, has always disliked our patio room. The room sometimes creaks and makes noises with temperature changes. Because Shep was poorly socialized to noises as a pup, he is very anxious in this room. When I took Shep in the room and played the CD, his normal anxiety subsided quickly. How quickly? By track 3 he was laying down, his breathing slowed, and his normal trembling stopped. By track 5 he moved over to his mat and lay down again, this time laying on his side, resting comfortably. WOW - impressive! NOTE: For best results follow the instructions included with the CD for introducing your dog to the music under non-stressful conditions first.

Today I'd like to share news received from Lisa Spector (the pianist on the CD), of this group's "Shelter Program". This "Shelter Program" makes this great music available to Shelters and Rescues who are willing to participate in a study. The study is geared to track the effectiveness of this music in improving adoption successes - a very noble cause. If you're affiliated with a Shelter or Rescue I strongly urge you to spend a few minutes reading about this program. More info is available at: http://throughadogsear.com/shelter_program.htm

I sincerely wish this group great success. I believe their music can really make a difference in many homes, and I applaud their new program focused on helping those dogs who still need a home. I hope to share more news about yet another project from this group very soon - stay tuned!

In an email this date...

Dear Ohio Dog Friends,

We are pleased to tell you we have our 2nd consecutive hearing scheduled for the Senate on Wednesday, April 30th, beginning at 2:30 pm.

We had great testimony this week and feel optimistic the puppy mill bill will continue to move forward in the coming weeks. We are gaining momentum because so many people have been active in the process. Thank you for your calls, emails and personal stories to the senators and representatives. They are listening and they are becoming more aware of how many people are watching the bill...

...Several of you have asked for directions. Our friends at State Street Consultants have the best map of the State House area. There are also street directions from all directions as well. www.StateStreetOhio.com/map.cfm

Thank you for being a voice for the dogs that linger in the mills.

For the Dogs,
Kellie
ColumbusDogConnection.com

For those of you living in or around Columbus, Ohio, you've probably heard or seen some of the news stories about dead animals being found behind a rural shelter in Morgan County. The State SPCA got a tip and took TV crews to the site where skeletal remains were found. Some of the corpses apparently still had some hide, and others showed indications some dogs may have been shot (which is legal in Ohio).

According to reports, the County Commissioners were under the impression that dogs were being euthanized by a Veterinarian and the remains were being cremated. As a resolution, the Commissioners have voted 2-1 to dismiss the Warden, although he was given the option of resigning and did so.

I understand how unsettling something like this is to people watching at home. The sad part is that there are many rural areas with dog overpopulation problems and precious little funding. Some find ways to cope and do very well with what they have, others are sinking.

If you love dogs, do what you can, where you can, to make this world a better place for them. Providing a good home, spay/neutering them, and working dog training to help them become good citizens, can all go a long way to helping you sleep well at night.

The story below is out of Mobile, AL but it's a common one in many parts of the country. As pet populations grow, many areas are finding owners being less diligent about picking up after their pets when out walking.

One story I discussed several weeks ago involved a beach community that had already banned dogs from the beach during the warmer months when people frequented the beach. That community wanted to extend the ban to year-around because dog owners were leaving such messes during the winter months.

It's hard to know what to say other than it seems like common decency to pick up after your pooch as necessary. And for the true dog lovers out there, not picking up only gives those less enamored with canines good cause to seek bans, laws, and other remedies to keep their communities clean.

Dogs and humans have lived well together for ages. As space becomes more crowded and dogs share in our urban environments, it's increasingly important for owners to be good citizens. Not just for their communities, but for the good of dogs.

This story details the statistical anomaly that black dogs are less likely to be adopted. Reasons for this include the difficulty in photographing dogs with dark coats (harder to advertise them), and a presumption by many that dark dogs can be more menacing or have bad dog behavior.

As an owner of several black dogs over my lifetime, I can tell you they absolutely make great companions. I actually love dark coats for aesthetic reasons - they always look nice. But as noted before, if you're adopting it's best to make your decision based on a dog's personality, not looks. There are just as many black dogs with great personalities as those of other colors.