BSL - Breed Specific Legislation - Is your dog safe?

Boston Terriers a dangerous breed?

Drayton Michaels, SFSCPA Academy for Dog Trainers graduate, has produced a short clip highlighting problems and dangers in Breed Specific Legislation. Thes clip is gaining popularity as the movement to roll back breed specific legislation, insurance rules grows. It includes interviews with Nicholas Dodman, Jean Donaldson, and others.

Dog bites, airline deaths, and terrorist attackes get a huge amoung of coverage in the press, far outstripping reporting of deaths by cancer, obesity, hight blood pressure, strokes, diabetes, and other issues; many which can be changed by simple lifestyle changes. You are 37,000 times more likely to die of a car crash during your lifetime.

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Contratulations to Alice, Alison, Arnita, Corinne, Donna, Jennifer, Jenny, Lisa, Mikkel, an Sarah. You join the ranks of the over 450 CTC graduates from the SF/SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers in the past 10 years.

Successful completion of projects and exams show you are ready to carry out the SPCA mission as you extend our leadership role worldwide.

Your class joins over 450 graduates who have received the honor of a Certificate in Training and Counseling (CTC) since the Academy began 10 years ago.

Impact of our graduates is world wide.

Our graduates have major impact on dogs and communities while contributing to the core mission of the San Francisco SPCA.

“ … to save and protect animals, to provide care and treatment, to advocate for their welfare and to enhance the human-animal bond.”

This is quite a high standard, and I'm certain our graduates are supporting this mission far beyond the walls of out shelter and hospital.

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A bomb sniffing dog learned to detect drugs using only tennis ball as a reward.

"That's his drive, he wants that tennis ball very badly.  That's his toy and his ultimate award and he loves to have that.  If  he can find that odor that means he's getting a treat," said Howard.

Full article.

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The Pit Bull Placebo, Karen Delise,  is available online in pdf form from Karen Delise.

Delise is the author of Fatal Dog Attacks As well.

The Pit Bull Placebo: The Media, Myths and Politics of Canine Aggression is available at Amazon, as is Fatal Dog Attacks: The Stories Behind the Statistics (United States).

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Almudena Ortiz Cué of C.H.A.C.O Dog Training & Behavior Consulting hosts a free seminar called "Dogs at play."

Almudena will discuss different types of dog play, how to be safe at the dog park, how to manage dogs at play, and how to intervene if play goes wrong.

Wednesday June 3 at 7 p.m. in Berkeley. Free of charge but reservations required.

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What the first day of the SF/SPCA Acdemy for Dog Trainers is like. This is a course segment designed by instructor John Buginas. The academy is directed by Jean Donaldson. Instructors include John, Janis Bradley, and Gladys Chen.

A new session of the Academy starts in July, come join us to become a professional dog trainer.

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From a student:

A man was arrested for using his dog's shock collar on his kids. Ironic how that is considered abuse and yet no one in this piece has a problem with it being used on dogs. What a backwards world. Jordan

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Chicago, Carmel, Seattle, New york. Nothing close to San Francisco.

From Toptenz: Looking to travel and not sure where you and your family, including your four legged family member, should go? Picking places that will welcome your dog with arms as open as those that welcome you can be tricky, so here’s a list of the top 10 dog friendly cities in the United States.

Shown at right, a San Francisco bay view from Point Isabel Dog Park (best in US) located near Berkeley, in my opinion the best in the US.