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ISSUE #13<br />

G O U V E S S H E L T E R C L U B P U B L I C A T I O N<br />

PAWS FOR THOUGHT<br />

MAY 2019<br />

M o n t h l y m a g a z i n e f o r m e m b e r s o f G o u v e s S h e l t e r C l u b<br />

WHO WILL BE THE<br />

SUMMER POOCH OF<br />

2019?<br />

HUGO & ATLAS<br />

THE ADVENTURE<br />

BEGINS!<br />

MUNICIPALITY &<br />

THE SHELTER<br />

WORKING<br />

TOGETHER!<br />

HOW YOU CAN<br />

HELP US BY<br />

SPRING<br />

CLEANING!<br />

WHEN DOG<br />

MEETS DOG:<br />

UNDERSTANDING<br />

DOGGY<br />

ETIQUETTE<br />

SPRING<br />

HAZARDS FOR<br />

YOU DOG!


cont<br />

ents<br />

The Situation At The Shelter<br />

The latest news on the situation of the<br />

Shelter!<br />

08<br />

Member Offers<br />

Offers exclusively for Gouves Shelter<br />

Members.<br />

Hugo & Atlas - The Adventure Begins!<br />

Follow the life of Hugo and Atlas, two<br />

inseparable boys!<br />

10<br />

12<br />

Our Goal and Our Mission<br />

17<br />

Learn what we're trying to achieve.<br />

24<br />

Cat Corner<br />

Meet the beautiful rescue<br />

kittens of the month.<br />

16<br />

14<br />

Fantastic<br />

on GPS T<br />

30<br />

Dog Of The Month<br />

Fall in love with the rescue dog of the<br />

month.<br />

The Municipality And The Shelter<br />

The municipality and the shelter working<br />

together to make a difference.<br />

18<br />

22<br />

PRAXI'S SPRING TREATS!!<br />

Praxi's spring treats are just<br />

the snack your dog will want<br />

on a warm spring day!<br />

WHEN DOG<br />

Doggy etti<br />

The Hobby Of The Month<br />

This time it's all about exploring the world!<br />

26<br />

04<br />

34<br />

2<br />

Meet The Volunteers<br />

This month, meet Vicky - our Yorkshire<br />

lass!<br />

Yappy Ever After<br />

One of our old timers who found their<br />

happy ever after last month!<br />

28<br />

35<br />

Find out more about<br />

your pet with our latest<br />

member offer from<br />

Embark!<br />

SPRING T<br />

FOR PET


Turn the page for our very<br />

exciting partnership with<br />

Essential Foods!<br />

Feed your dogs and ours!<br />

05<br />

Welcome!<br />

We’re so happy to have you in<br />

the Gouves Shelter Members<br />

Club! You're support will make<br />

a real difference.<br />

The aim of the club is to build up a<br />

regular income so that our volunteers<br />

are able focus on the well-being of<br />

the animals and the long term<br />

improvement of our facilities.<br />

Members only offer<br />

racking devices!<br />

32<br />

HOW YOU CAN HELP?<br />

Spring cleaning to help the<br />

ones in need!<br />

06<br />

MEETS DOG!<br />

qutte.<br />

Anyone sponsoring one of our dogs is<br />

automatically enrolled in our<br />

Members Club, but it’s also open to<br />

anyone else who can contribute a<br />

monthly donation of 5 Euros.<br />

In return, you receive our monthly<br />

online magazine, packed full of news<br />

and information from the shelter,<br />

interesting articles and members<br />

offers.<br />

Because the magazine is created by<br />

volunteers, we can guarantee that<br />

100% of the profit goes directly to the<br />

monthly costs of the shelter.<br />

We have taken the first step towards<br />

our goal of 1500 subscribers which<br />

would generate an income of almost<br />

7,000 Euros per month.<br />

From everyone at the shelter,<br />

Thank You<br />

WHO WILL BE THE NEXT<br />

SUMMER POOCH?<br />

IME HAZARDS<br />

S<br />

3


AN EXCLUSIVE MEMBERS ONLY OFFER!<br />

WHAT'S YOUR DOG'S BREED?<br />

Many rescue dog owners would love to know what kind of mix<br />

created their beloved friend - and we now with our latest membersonly<br />

offer, we can help!<br />

Embark, the leading dog DNA testing company has agreed to cooperate<br />

with us and give all our club members a fantastic discount!<br />

Visit their website and use the code PUPS20 to get $20 off your<br />

purchase!<br />

We're sure you'll be fascinated by the results. If you have a Gouves<br />

dog, please share your results with us - we'd be fascinated too!


5


WHO WILL BE THE NEXT<br />

SUMMER POOCH?<br />

Last year we held a summer<br />

pooch competition for the<br />

first time and since our<br />

followers really seemed to<br />

like it, we wanted to make it<br />

a yearly event!<br />

Finally a year has passed and<br />

May has arrived - so it's time to<br />

see who will win this year!<br />

What does it mean? What is a<br />

Summer Pooch competition? No<br />

worries, we will tell you all<br />

about it.<br />

Summer Pooch competition is<br />

held on Facebook and we invite<br />

everyone who has rescued a dog<br />

to participate!<br />

From the beginning of May, we<br />

will do a post about the<br />

competition.<br />

You can comment your dogs<br />

most "summery" photo to the<br />

post and the photo with most<br />

likes will move to the finals!<br />

For 3 week dogs can try to get<br />

their place in the top 3 and<br />

during the last week of May the<br />

winner will be chosen!<br />

So what does the winner get?<br />

Why should I participate? First<br />

of all, we love seeing happy<br />

photos of rescue dogs and so<br />

does everyone else! Secondly,<br />

the winner will of course get<br />

something out of it!<br />

6


The winner will be at the cover<br />

of our next magazine issue and<br />

have a whole article written<br />

about their story! How<br />

awesome is that?<br />

Last years winner was the<br />

lovely Bella! Her amazing<br />

images melt the hearts of our<br />

followers and her story<br />

brought smiles to may faces.<br />

We know this years winner will<br />

do the same!<br />

Do you think your rescue dog<br />

deserves a place in the cover?<br />

Get ready to take funny photos<br />

with a summer feeling in them<br />

and join the fun!<br />

PRO TIP:<br />

Be sure to invite all your<br />

friends and family to like your<br />

photo and give your rescue<br />

dog a boost!<br />

7


THE SHELTER NUMBERS<br />

- More than 5 dogs rescued last month<br />

- More than 4 emergency treatments at the vet<br />

- More than 20 interns enrolled for the summer<br />

- More than 20 dogs adopted<br />

- 210 dogs and 200 cats fed and taken care of, every single day!<br />

GOOD AND BAD NEWS<br />

SHELTER<br />

Shelter<br />

SO MANY LOSSES<br />

Last month we lost some very<br />

dear people and dogs. We lost<br />

an amazing woman Samantha,<br />

who had been a force to<br />

reckon with in the animal<br />

welfare world. She had<br />

supported our work in so<br />

many ways over the years and<br />

will be sorely missed.<br />

We also lost Verena, a dog that<br />

we had done everything we<br />

could for. In the end she died<br />

from Leishmania at the arms<br />

of her foster, who loved her<br />

dearly.<br />

PROGRESS WITH THE<br />

MUNICIPALITY<br />

We work tirelessly with the<br />

local municipality to make<br />

them part of the solution for<br />

strays problem.<br />

Now for the first time we held<br />

an animal welfare weekend,<br />

which was concentrating on<br />

volunteers as well as on the<br />

public. Vets, trainers and other<br />

specialist were giving advice<br />

and education while 150 free<br />

microchips were given to<br />

those who needed them.<br />

8


The summer is approaching and with it<br />

new and old friends come to visit us.<br />

Since we are in shortage of volunteers<br />

we are considering opening hours for<br />

public, so we can make sure people will<br />

have someone there to tell them about<br />

our work!<br />

www.gouvesshelter.com<br />

Situation<br />

EVEN SLOW PROGRESS IS PROGRESS<br />

9


MEMBER<br />

As well as knowing that you're making a huge difference to the dogs and c<br />

offers from our friends in and around the Gouves area. All you need to do<br />

granted. We try to bring you more offers each month.<br />

Use code GSCP15 for your 15%<br />

discount on a GPS Pet Tracker.<br />

See pages 14 & 15 for details!<br />

10% Discount on first<br />

groom for club member's<br />

pooches during April!


OFFERS<br />

ats in Gouves, your membership also provides you with exclusive<br />

is show the current edition of the magazine and your offer will be


THE ADVENTURES O<br />

THE STORY<br />

A "happily ever after"<br />

story, told by Hugo's<br />

new owner, Mira.<br />

The first thing I noticed<br />

was Hugo's noble way of<br />

carrying himself and the<br />

wisdom behind his eyes.<br />

Then I read his story and I<br />

could feel my heart sigh.<br />

He charmed me from that<br />

moment and I decided this<br />

is it - he will be our dog.<br />

But let's take a step back<br />

first.<br />

At the summer of 2018 we<br />

bought a small and<br />

adorable German Shepherd<br />

puppy Atlas. Within 9<br />

months he grew up to be<br />

35kg of love with<br />

unstoppable desire to redo<br />

our furniture whenever we<br />

were away.<br />

Since we kind of preferred<br />

to have at least the outer<br />

walls of the house intact, I<br />

started to look for a friend<br />

for him. As I scrolled<br />

through the Gouves Animal<br />

Shelter page I found Hugo<br />

and fell in love.<br />

The first step was to figure<br />

out how we could bring him<br />

to Finland. It turned out to<br />

be really simple and the<br />

preparations for Hugo's<br />

departure were started.<br />

Finally the day came when<br />

the flight escort arrived<br />

through pushing Hugo in his<br />

box at the airport arrivals.<br />

When we opened the box<br />

door, out came a happy, tail<br />

wagging Hugo, who was<br />

immediately the target of<br />

hugs and kisses. Even though<br />

the journey had been long,<br />

he was still happy and<br />

12


F HUGO & ATLAS<br />

BEGINS....<br />

www.gouvesshelter.com<br />

everyone's hearts and<br />

made his home on the<br />

sofa. He loves to be<br />

cuddled, run around the<br />

garden and sleep in his<br />

soft bed. While we are at<br />

work, he plays with Atlas<br />

or sleeps at the couch.<br />

Hugo has now been in his<br />

new home for a week.<br />

Atlas loves him with all of<br />

his heart, playing with the<br />

energy of a puppy and<br />

drowning Hugo in kisses.<br />

And the best part - no<br />

more renovating the<br />

house! Hugo is everything<br />

we were told he would be<br />

- he is friendly to<br />

everyone from people to<br />

cats. His new home also<br />

includes two cats, Tiuhti &<br />

Viuhti!<br />

When I come home, he<br />

greets me happily and<br />

when I sit to the couch, he<br />

jumps next to me, rest's<br />

his head on my chest and<br />

sighs. More than once<br />

have I shed tears of<br />

happiness in these<br />

moments. Just one week<br />

has passed and the<br />

adventures of Hugo and<br />

Atlas are just beginning!<br />

In a week he had melted<br />

13


KEEP TRACK OF YOUR DOG WITH OUR FANTASTIC<br />

MEMBERS ONLY OFFER!<br />

We're delighted that Gouves Shelter Club members are eligible for a<br />

whopping 15% discount off Tractive GPS tracking devices!<br />

Never worry about your dog getting lost again, since you can track their every<br />

movement! With Tractive you can see immediately where your dog is going<br />

with your cellphone, and be at ease!<br />

We only recommend things to our club members which we have tried<br />

ourselves, and I can honestly say that since we got our tracker for our rescue<br />

dog, Rozi, we have been so much more relaxed with her on walks. Even when<br />

she catches the scent of something and disappears, we know we will find her<br />

using the really user friendly app on our phones!<br />

It even lets us see where she is when we're not at home - just to make sure<br />

she's still there, and there's a handy buzzer you can activate to help locate<br />

your dog when you can't see them.<br />

Just go to tractive.com and use the voucher code GSCP15 to get your 15%<br />

discount - and some peace of mind!<br />

14


15


PRAXI'S SPRING TREATS!<br />

Ingredients<br />

2.5 cups whole wheat flour<br />

1 cup water<br />

1 tbsp vegetable oil<br />

1/2 cup quick oats<br />

2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped<br />

1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped<br />

10-12 drops green food coloring<br />

Instructions<br />

Preheat oven to 350 F and line a<br />

baking sheet with parchment<br />

paper.<br />

In a bowl, combine the flour,<br />

oats, oil, water, and herbs. Mix<br />

well.<br />

Storage<br />

Treats may be stored in an air<br />

tight container for 2 weeks, or<br />

in the freezer for up to 3<br />

months.<br />

Add food coloring, then knead<br />

the dough until color is evenly<br />

dispersed.<br />

Roll out the dough on parchment<br />

paper, using extra flour as<br />

needed so it doesn't stick.<br />

Roll out about 1/4 to 1/2<br />

thickness.<br />

Use a cookie cutter to cut out<br />

shapes.<br />

16<br />

Place on lined baking sheet and<br />

bake for 35 minutes.<br />

Let treats cool before serving.


OUR FIRST MILESTONE:<br />

50 MEMBERS!<br />

After 13 months we have 50 subscribers!<br />

Thank you to everyone, your help is so<br />

important for the animals. We need 1500<br />

monthly subscribers to enable us to meet<br />

all the regular running costs of the shelter<br />

and medical care of all our dogs and cats!<br />

Please help us to reach our goal by telling<br />

your friends about us.<br />

OUR MISSION<br />

The long term goal of any animal shelter should be to close<br />

down. Our dream is to live in a world where all pets have<br />

responsible owners who neuter them, so that one day there will<br />

be no more strays.<br />

We believe that the key lies in educating the current and the<br />

next generation of pet owners, and in neutering programs.<br />

Until we reach that goal, our aim is to be financially secure<br />

enough to help every sick or injured animal that finds its way to<br />

us, to provide the best care possible to all animals at the<br />

shelter and to find good homes for them as quickly as possible.<br />

What would please us more than anything is to be able to<br />

improve the facilities at the shelter. We do the very best that<br />

we can with the resources we have, but we could do so much<br />

more if we had the money to do it.<br />

If we can cover monthly costs with a members club, we will be<br />

taking a huge leap forward for our furry friends.<br />

FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS, THANK YOU. 17


L E S L Y<br />

T H E D O G O F<br />

T H E M O N T H


19


LESLY<br />

THE FORGOTTEN SWEETY<br />

Lesley came to the shelter<br />

two years ago with her sister<br />

Rika. They were both just<br />

puppies and we were<br />

confident they would find<br />

homes soon. Unfortunately<br />

they missed their cutest<br />

months and ended up staying<br />

in the shelter for far longer<br />

than we hoped for.<br />

We really don't understand<br />

why this little girl is so<br />

overlooked - she would be<br />

perfect in most homes!<br />

She is playful and<br />

submissive, loves to cuddle<br />

and would do anything for a<br />

treat. Training with her is<br />

always a pleasure, because<br />

she is smart and eager to<br />

learn. Not to mention her<br />

manners with other dogs!<br />

Lesly gets along with<br />

everyone and is always<br />

happy to make new friends.<br />

She goes to them politely,<br />

wagging her tail and turning<br />

her head from side to side.<br />

She radiates joy when she is<br />

outside playing with others<br />

or running after a ball. At the<br />

same time nothing would be<br />

better than cuddling with<br />

people and relaxing on a<br />

comfortable bed, her past<br />

completely forgotten and air<br />

filled with love.<br />

20


And she is just absolutely stunning with her snow white<br />

coat and beautiful caramel markings! A joy to see every<br />

day.<br />

She really does not have a bad bone in her and we could<br />

recommend her even as a first dog. Her easy going nature<br />

and submissive behavior is the perfect combination.<br />

Maybe this year Lesly will have better luck and someone<br />

will see just how special she is. We know if she would just<br />

have the chance, she would be the best thing that ever<br />

happened to one lucky family!<br />

Please let us<br />

know if you<br />

think Lesly<br />

could be the<br />

dog for you or<br />

someone you<br />

know.<br />

21


MUNICIPALITY TAKING ACTION<br />

TO CHANGE OPINIONS<br />

TOGETHER WE CAN DO IT!<br />

MUNICIPALITY &<br />

THE SHELTER TOGETHER<br />

22


SLOWLY BUT STEADILY CHANGE<br />

WILL HAPPEN!<br />

We know that it takes a lot of effort and co-operation to make<br />

things better for the animals. Not only do we need to control<br />

the stray population by neutering, but we need to educate<br />

people about animal welfare and most importantly, how to<br />

humanely treat animals.<br />

This is a huge and long term goal, which wont be achieved in a<br />

year or without help. That is why it's essential that have the<br />

government's support. They need to enforce the laws that are<br />

already in place, they need to educate the public and they<br />

need to have a united front with the rescue organizations.<br />

Fortunately our municipality is one of those who are positive<br />

to make progress and who try to help the situation. We<br />

communicate with them openly and try to come up with ways<br />

to make things better. During the past years they have given<br />

food and free neutering for animals in need and this year, for<br />

the first time, they held a two day seminar about animals.<br />

The first day was for people<br />

involved within animal welfare, so<br />

we could share ideas and see where<br />

the municipality was heading. The<br />

second day was for<br />

public, to get basic info on<br />

animal care.<br />

It might not be a huge thing alone,<br />

but it tells us that our efforts are<br />

not in vain and that the<br />

municipality is ready to take action<br />

and do more than just making the<br />

right noises.<br />

Slowly we can make a change, when<br />

the right people come together!<br />

23


FOUR KITTENS DUMPED<br />

IN THE TRASH<br />

24<br />

This month we introduce<br />

you to four kittens who can<br />

be considered both the<br />

lucky and unlucky ones.<br />

These four cute kittens<br />

were found in a trash can in<br />

a nearby village. Why?<br />

Maybe they were the<br />

unwanted offspring of an<br />

owned cat or maybe<br />

someone local thought this<br />

would be an easy way to<br />

stop more stray cats from<br />

taking over the town.<br />

Whatever the reason, it<br />

meant a certain death for<br />

these little ones.<br />

Just days old, they were too<br />

young to keep themselves<br />

warm, not to mention their<br />

constant need of mothers<br />

milk with all of it's<br />

nutrients!<br />

Luckily the kind lady who<br />

found them decided to take<br />

action. The right person at<br />

the right time you could say!


This amazing person has<br />

fostered more cats than we<br />

can count and of course she<br />

made room for the kittens<br />

too. Now they are in her<br />

expert care and we hope<br />

their luck stays on this<br />

course.<br />

With kittens it is even more<br />

difficult to give them what<br />

they need, since formula<br />

milk and hot bottles only<br />

take you so far. Even with the<br />

best care these kittens are<br />

still in critical condition.<br />

All we can do now is hope<br />

that they will pull it through<br />

and once they do, they can<br />

find their forever families.<br />

They are in the best care and<br />

they have all the chances we<br />

could give to ensure they will<br />

become healthy and happy<br />

adult cats.<br />

25


When you have added a four<br />

legged friend to your household,<br />

you start thinking about the<br />

things you can do together. Many<br />

people love walking or even<br />

hiking – depending on their level<br />

of fitness and that of their dog.<br />

So before you end up in a daily<br />

routine that takes you to the<br />

same trees, garden and house<br />

corners every evening, why not<br />

become a bit more adventures?<br />

Depending on your dog and how<br />

comfortable it is in new<br />

environments, explore your very<br />

own hometown and towns, parks,<br />

forests. Choose carefully and<br />

don't overwhelm your dog.<br />

Sunday mornings are usually<br />

quieter in town centers and flea<br />

markets can be very crowded.<br />

Make sure your dog is on a safety<br />

leash just in case.<br />

Usually there are always areas<br />

and streets in one' s own town<br />

which are nice and where one has<br />

never been before. Or where you<br />

only go by car and then your miss<br />

the smaller streets.<br />

26<br />

EXPLORING THE WORLD<br />

THE PERFECT HOBBY<br />

So, look up your town on a map or<br />

on the internet, look for a parking<br />

lot or use public transport. If you<br />

think your dog can handle public<br />

transport, it will be a good<br />

learning experience. Maybe you<br />

can also form a group with other<br />

dog owners and meet regularly.<br />

Plan a bit ahead. Is there<br />

something interesting to see? Is<br />

there a park? Is there a coffee<br />

place? Is there a forest? Do you<br />

need food and water for you and<br />

the dog? Take your mobile and/or<br />

your camera and and make lots of<br />

pictures! Either snap shots or<br />

artful ones.<br />

When you are back home, collect<br />

your photos in a separate folder<br />

for each walk. Then you can print<br />

out a few good shots or have<br />

them printed on the internet,<br />

and make your own adventure<br />

book. Either you simply glue<br />

them in a notebook and add the<br />

little stories which happened or<br />

you make a high-end photo book<br />

of it. Or a blog or a site on the<br />

internet.


After some time you'll notice that<br />

you know your very own town<br />

much better, your and your dog's'<br />

fitness improves because you'll<br />

make longer walks than you<br />

normally do, your dog has a lot of<br />

new experiences to build on and<br />

you have a nice collection of<br />

memories.<br />

And maybe then you'll want to<br />

switch to bigger adventures, like<br />

a hiking trip. Your dog will have<br />

learned a lot on your previous<br />

walks. Choose the right location:<br />

The sea, soft hills or really high<br />

mountains? Either plan daily<br />

walks from one place or you' ll<br />

carry your luggage from one<br />

place to the next. Make sure the<br />

place takes dogs. Estimate the<br />

daily distance realistically –<br />

better less then too much, so<br />

ensure enough time to relax or<br />

for breaks on the way.<br />

Again a nice photo collection will<br />

be an additional reward for cold<br />

winter evenings. Your dog will<br />

learn to trust you much more and<br />

you'll become a fabulous team.


Vicky helped to set up Praxie's Prom<br />

the shelter's UK based charity whic<br />

to help raise funds for the shelter.<br />

MEET THE<br />

VOLUNTEERS<br />

"Caring for the<br />

helplesss has<br />

always been<br />

installed in me"<br />

This month we introduce Vicky who moved to Crete from<br />

Yorkshire, UK in 2010<br />

28<br />

How did you get involved with the shelter? It was 2012 when I first visited the<br />

shelter. I’d always known about it but hadn't visited until then. When I first walked<br />

in I was over whelmed by the amount of dogs there, and I knew from that moment<br />

that I had to get involved. I have always had a passion for dogs, going way back to<br />

being a young girl. When I was about 12 years old my best friend and I did a raffle<br />

at school to raise money for the RSPCA, and we made a speech about the need to<br />

help abused and abandoned animals. I think we raised about £55 and I still have<br />

the certificate somewhere. Caring for the helpless seems to be something that has<br />

always been installed in me.


ise,<br />

h aims<br />

Visit the Praxie's Promise website<br />

here.<br />

The charity was named after one<br />

of our longest residents.<br />

How do you help?<br />

I like to focus on the dogs that get<br />

overlooked; the ones that struggle and<br />

become depressed in the shelter. I have a<br />

great friend who lets me use her land for<br />

free and we have built a couple of<br />

kennels.<br />

I try to take the dogs that are having a<br />

hard time at the shelter - to get them well<br />

again. I also try desperately to prevent<br />

dogs from ending up in the shelter in the<br />

first place. I am fortunate enough to have<br />

lots of animal loving friends who quite<br />

often end up fostering dogs for us to<br />

prevent them ending up in the shelter in<br />

the first place.<br />

I also use my network of friends and<br />

contacts to transport dogs to the UK once<br />

we have found a home for them. The trip<br />

can be a logistical nightmare but all worth<br />

it when I see photos of the dogs in their<br />

lovely new homes.<br />

What do you hope for the future?<br />

I'm a huge believer of neutering the<br />

strays. I don't think the only answer is to<br />

scoop up all the strays and put them in a<br />

shelter. This will never solve the problem.<br />

We need to support the neutering of<br />

strays and focus on education. The<br />

younger generation will form the future<br />

so let’s try to teach them how to be kind<br />

and responsible as best we can. We<br />

cannot erase history but we can shape the<br />

future.<br />

29


WHEN DOG<br />

MEETS DOG<br />

We all know how to greet a friend<br />

or stranger in the right way – but<br />

it’s a lot different in the dog<br />

world – and there are some<br />

important things you should learn<br />

to look out for to avoid harm or<br />

stress to your dogs.<br />

When allowed to move freely a<br />

well-mannered (off leash) dog will<br />

avoid sustained direct eye contact<br />

when meeting a new dog. He<br />

willapproach with a smooth gait in<br />

a perpendicular or semi-circular<br />

manner.<br />

This allows each dog to size the<br />

other up and determine whether<br />

there is a threat to safety, or a<br />

polite invitation to say hello.<br />

Dogs sniff each other to gain<br />

information, usually beginning at<br />

the muzzle and working toward the<br />

anal glands.<br />

After about three seconds, dogs<br />

they typically either choose to<br />

play, or disengage.<br />

to signal non-threatening<br />

intentions.Leashed greetings are<br />

often face-to-face with sustained<br />

eye contact as they close the<br />

distance. Dogs normally do that<br />

when they are threatening each<br />

other.<br />

Meanwhile, their handlers may be<br />

standing still engaging in polite<br />

human greeting behavior. That<br />

forces dog to remain in close<br />

proximity far longer than they<br />

prefer.<br />

Imagine a human handshake that<br />

goes on…and on…and on…while<br />

the stranger is two feet away,<br />

staring at you. It would be<br />

uncomfortable for people, and it is<br />

uncomfortable for dogs.<br />

If leashed dogs choose to<br />

disengage, they are trapped by<br />

leashes and so tension rises until<br />

there is an outburst, which could<br />

lead to a fight.<br />

30<br />

It’s a different story when dogs<br />

meet whilst leashed because they<br />

lose the option of free movement,<br />

limiting their ability to<br />

communicate through body<br />

language. Communication is vital


If leashed dogs choose to play<br />

together, they can entangle<br />

themselves and their handlers, and<br />

that can turn to panic and conflict.<br />

If the same two dogs were to meet<br />

unleashed, the outcome could be<br />

entirely different. The best dog<br />

introductions are done off leash in a<br />

safe area, with two attentive and<br />

capable dog handlers who know how<br />

to read canine body language for<br />

stress signs.<br />

A second-best option is to use long<br />

training leads in which the slack is left<br />

on the ground so the dogs can move<br />

about.It can be a good idea to let the<br />

dogs greet briefly, then separate them,<br />

and let them greet again. Doing so<br />

several times allows them to gather<br />

scent and remain calmer during the<br />

process. With repetition, the drama of<br />

an initial greeting fades and they learn<br />

how to relax in the presence of other<br />

dogs.<br />

It can be tempting to take your dog<br />

over to meet other dogs – but it can be<br />

stressful for your dog and after all, if<br />

you were out for a walk (without your<br />

dog) you would probably just<br />

acknowledge strangers rather than<br />

rush up to them while shouting and<br />

waving your arms to greet them.<br />

We do not have to closely engage with<br />

everyone we see in the community,<br />

and neither do our dogs. There is far<br />

more value in giving our dogs a<br />

positive, relaxed experience each time<br />

they see another dog – and by<br />

understanding a little about doggy<br />

etiquette, it’s easy to do just that.<br />

31


HOW YOU<br />

CAN HELP<br />

START YOUR SPRING CLEANING!<br />

Spring is the time when<br />

nature comes back to life<br />

after a dark winter. So why<br />

not do the same and start<br />

with a fresh and cleaner<br />

environment - whilst<br />

helping the shelter at the<br />

same time!<br />

Spring cleaning is not only<br />

a great way to get your<br />

house tidy, it's also the<br />

perfect opportunity to get<br />

rid of some old stuff, that<br />

you have been hanging on<br />

to for far too long.<br />

But are those things really<br />

making you happy or are<br />

they just cluttering your<br />

house?<br />

De-cluttering for a good<br />

cause can be a great<br />

motivation.<br />

Sort through your house,<br />

room by room, deciding<br />

what to keep, what you can<br />

donate/sell and what<br />

should really belong in the<br />

bin!<br />

32<br />

We know this can be a<br />

difficult task, since we hold<br />

on to the idea that we will<br />

one day fit to those skinny<br />

jeans again, or that we will<br />

lose our memories if we get<br />

rid of stuff that is<br />

sentimental.


Spring without clutter and rubbish<br />

O n c e y o u s t a r t<br />

d e c l u t t e r i n g , i t c a n b e<br />

v e r y t h e r a p e u t i c a n d<br />

a d d i c t i v e !<br />

I f y o u w a n t t o t a k e i t<br />

s e r i o u s l y , c h e c k o u t t h e<br />

M a r i e K o n d o m e t h o d .<br />

O n e o f h e r t i p s i s t o a s k<br />

y o u r s e l f w h e t h e r a n<br />

i t e m ' s p a r k s j o y ' , w h e n<br />

d e c i d i n g w h e t h e r o r n o t<br />

t o k e e p i t .<br />

E v e r y i t e m y o u s e l l ,<br />

e v e n i f i t m a k e s o n l y o n e<br />

E u r o , w i l l m a k e a<br />

d i ff e r e n c e t o t h e s h e l t e r .<br />

S o , t h i s s p r i n g , m a k e a<br />

d i ff e r e n c e t o y o u r h o m e<br />

a n d t h e s h e l t e r a t t h e<br />

s a m e t i m e .<br />

H a p p y S p r i n g C l e a n i n g !<br />

O n c e y o u k n o w w h a t y o u<br />

w a n t t o g e t r i d o f , y o u<br />

c a n s e l l i t a t a l o c a l fl e a<br />

m a r k e t , o r o n l i n e .<br />

33


Dangers for dogs during spring<br />

34<br />

During spring some dangers start<br />

to crawl, fly and just plainly<br />

appear like out of nowhere. To<br />

keep your pet safe, be sure to<br />

prepare for one of these<br />

dangerous things that spring and<br />

summer tend to bring out!<br />

1. Snakes - Depending on where<br />

you live, this can be a bigger or a<br />

smaller hazard. Snakes wake up<br />

during the spring, when it starts to<br />

warm up and they can be easily<br />

found on your favorite walking<br />

paths. If your area has poisonous<br />

snakes, be sure to carry<br />

emergency medication with you<br />

and ask your local vet what is the<br />

best way to prepare and avoid<br />

snake bites.<br />

2. Bees - Bees start to emerge just<br />

like snakes during the spring.<br />

While these might not be as<br />

dangerous alone as snakes, a hive<br />

can be even deadly for a dog. So<br />

be sure to check for any beehives<br />

in your garden or by your walking<br />

paths to avoid your dog from<br />

getting stung.<br />

3. Ticks and other parasites<br />

Spring also brings out the nasty<br />

crawling things like ticks and other<br />

parasites. To protect your pet from<br />

these disease carrying things, be<br />

sure to use collars, liquids or pills.<br />

This way your pet can enjoy the<br />

warm sun without the danger of<br />

getting nasty parasites.


HAPPILY EVER AFTER<br />

This time we want to share the Happily Ever After of<br />

Tac, our wonderful little girl!<br />

Tac came to the shelter with her two brothers, Tic<br />

and Toe. They were just small puppies and we hoped<br />

they would find homes quickly. Unfortunately<br />

nobody seemed interested in them and they were<br />

overlooked at the shelter for some time.<br />

One day, Toe got a lucky break and found his forever<br />

home! We kept our hopes up and knew that one day<br />

someone would see how special Tic and Tac were<br />

too.<br />

And now we can tell you the good news - Tac is going to her forever home!<br />

Her loving personality and happy attitude will give her family endless amount<br />

of joy!<br />

Now our hopes are that Tic will be as lucky this year and this terrific trio will<br />

all have their happy ever afters!


THANK YOU<br />

FOR YOUR<br />

SUPPORT<br />

CONTACT US<br />

gouvesshelter@gmail.com<br />

www.gouvesshelter.com<br />

facebook.com/gouvesanimalshelter/<br />

Paypal: Gouvesanimalsheltercrete@gmail.com

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