A word about little kids and dogs

Hey folks, this is Bear,

Yeah I'm the goofy Golden/Lab mix that wouldn't hurt a flea. I had my cousin Gianna (who is 3 years old) over the house last weekend. Boy, does she know how to play with a dog. Fortunatly for her, I love it and will take any kind of attention I can get. She can pull on my ears, grab my tail, and lay on top of my 96 pound body and I love it.
An interesting thing I noticed though. Even though, as I said I wouldn't hurt a flea, my Master, Bill wouldn't let us out of his sight. You see, he knows that even though, I am as good as I say I am, he realizes that accidents can happen. As long as he is there he can see what's going on and moniter the situation. The possibility of an accident is greatly reduced.
A few years ago in the K-9 unit, one of the handlers had his Police K-9 home. That's where they lived when they weren't working and were a part of the family. The dog was great with people and loved everyone. For whatever reason, the wife accidently stepped on the dogs paw while it was asleep on the floor, and guess what, yep, those 4 trained canines grabbed her leg and there were 4 instantanious holes.
Can you say anyone was at fault? I guess if anyone was at fault, it was the wife. The dog, at the time felt threatened and responded. The dog immediately knew what he did and released, but it was too late.
The same goes for your pet in the house.
NEVER LEAVE A DOG AND A CHILD UNATTENDED!
Pay attention to your dog when kids are arround

Dog Owner Reality

Hey folks, this is Jasper (Police K-9 #7.

Yeah, I'm the dog that trained Bill all things he knows about dog training. You see, when Bill first got into the K-9 unit, the trainer asked everyone: who owned a dog, and for how long. Well, every prospective handler said they had a dog all their lives. The trainer then proceeded to say "OK, if you want to succeed in this program, then I advise you to forget everything you thought you knew about dogs and listen to me".

This was a hard dose of reality for the boys to take. Those who took his advise became great handlers. Those that didn't, well you can answer that. You see they all thought that since they had dogs, they were experts. Nothing could be further from the truth.

We, the canine furry creatures you will be listening to, can give you a perspective that you might not have considered when dealing with your dog.

We're not going to make this a long lesson so stay tuned for more to come.

Thanks for your time,

Jasper, Police K-9 Shepherd/Lab mix

Winter Hazards

Hello again folks, this is Jasper.

I have another precaution for you to keep in mind in cold locations.

After walking your dog in an area that has ice, check it's paws for any type of ice melting compound. This could be salt, calcium or any other commercial compound. Dog paws have pads (fingers). Between the pads is a piece of skin called a web. Foreign objects can get caught in this area. These substances taste salty, which could be very appealing. If they lick it, in most cases, the worst case scenario will be an upset stomach. The area could become irritated if left there, especially if it is wet.

Check their paws and wipe them with a damp paper towel.

If you have an icy condition, Jasper recommends that you use an alternative such as kitty litter (non-scented) or sand. These are non toxic. But, still clean there feet after returning from a walk.

Thanks again for taking care of my furry friend,

Jasper

Shephard/lab mix (Bills, first Police K-9)