Calgary PetExpo is

offering CKC Canine Good Neighbour Testing!

The Canine Good Neighbour (CGN) training program embraces both purebred and mixed-breed dogs and is fun, rewarding, and useful. It encourages owners to have a better and richer relationship with their dogs. The program also enhances community awareness of responsible dog ownership and the numerous benefits associated with dog ownership.

To become Canine Good Neighbour Certified you and your dog must demonstrate confidence and control and pass a series of 12 Tests. A registered CGN evaluator will assess and pass or fail your performance.

HOW TO GET YOUR DOG CERTIFIED & TESTED:

The PetExpo is excited to offer 45 Open Test Times during the Show.
A lottery will be held from all e-submissions to fill the available times.
Requests for testing will be accepted until March 15th.
Selected Teams will be notifed immediately.

To Enter - Email pets@canwestshows.com

Be sure to include:

• Your name
• Your Dogs name
• Your Contact information (email & phone number)

All tests will be held at the Show either Saturday, March 26th or Sunday, March 27th.

If you and your dog are selected you will be notified via email and assigned a scheduled time for your CGN Test. All Teams selected will be provided with Free Admission into the Show.

There is a $20 Fee to participate in the CGN Test that is payable at registration.

For more information on Special Requirements - please click on the below:

Going Green Without Even Knowing It!

With my interest in technology (Apple products specifically), I realized that not only is it fun to have an iPhone, iPad and an iMac, it’s also environmentally more friendly.

We here at Poooh Busters are not only champions of responsible pet guardianship and for supporting Calgary local businesses, we believe in being environmentally responsible.

So I was happy to read an article about how using technology today is helping our environment. This example involves some of my favourite things; books and music. The following is an article from a great “green” website called One Simple Act.

Green Books and Music
Have you ever wondered what the future of the newspaper and books will be in this electronic age? Technology has changed the way we read the written word. There is a plethora of gadgets to make our lives faster and easier and maybe a bit greener. You can read books on computers, electronic tablets, digital readers or e-books, and even some cell phones. And we can listen to music on MP3 players and computers.

Whether you choose a real book or a digital book, they both have an environmental impact. Which is greener? It depends on the number of books you read and the various uses you can get from one electronic gadget.

Each option’s environmental impact is concentrated in a different place. The biggest source of carbon dioxide emissions in the book industry is from paper production, accounting for almost 70 per cent of the industry’s emissions. For digital readers, the most carbon-intensive step is production of the device itself. The greatest impact of reading online is the energy that it takes to power the computer while reading or listening to music.

Despite the initial cost of electronic book readers and the plastic used to create them, they can have a smaller eco-footprint than paper books. With an e-book reader, you can download books, newspapers and magazines from anywhere so you won’t have to drive to the bookstore to pick up the paper versions. To increase your green points, you can recycle your reader when you're done with it.

If you’re not sold on e-books, there are other ways to be a greener reader. Hopping on your bike and pedaling to the local library will reduce your personal transportation impact. Library books are a much more eco-friendly way than buying a book brand new since it avoids all the costs associated with publishing and transportation. Your local second-hand bookseller is also a good choice for finding reused goods, and websites like Kijiji let you trade your used items with other users and keep more trash out of landfills. Schools, nursing homes, gyms, or shelters may also accept donations of old magazines. Ask first though as there is concern with the spreading of germs.

Carbon offsetting can be used when there are no other green alternatives or along with other green alternatives. Reusing, donating, buying and donating used book and garage sales, freecycling and encouraging publishing companies to print on recycled paper can still be the first alternatives.

One Simple Acts

• Switch to iTunes: think of the plastic that won't be used for CD cases; the paper that won’t be used for the CD covers; and think of the CD's that won’t stack and take up space.
• At Tunes for Trees, for every 10 tracks you buy they plant a tree for free.
• Industrialized nations, which account for 20% of the world's population, consume 87% of the world's printing and writing paper. Try an e-book.

Minimize the environmental impact of your electronics by using it for as long as possible and recycling it at the end of its life.

Good Dog Owner or Bad Dog Owner?

Do you consider yourself a good dog guardian? Many of us, me and Mrs. Nate included, feel we are exceptional pet parents. We walk our dogs daily, we feed them quality food, and they get regular grooming and vet visits.

Well I found this little quiz on a blog called the Somerville Bark. I enjoyed its “tongue in cheek” approach but carries a very important message that we all need reminding of every once in a while.

Take the quiz and see where you score!

You brush your dog’s teeth once a:
a) Day
b) Week
c) Millennium

You walk your dog on a:
a) Leash
b) Long piece of string
c) Telepathic plane

You bathe your dog when your:
a) Car smells doggy
b) House smells doggy
c) Neighborhood smells doggy

You clean up after your dog:
a) Always
b) When someone is looking
c) When Environment Canada cites you for having an illegal landfill

When your dog is gassy in the middle of your dinner party, you:
a) Quickly light the candles for “ambiance”
b) Sternly order your dog from the room
c) Secretively point to the person to your left and mouth “woo-eee!”

Your dog comes home with orange fur in his mouth right around the time your next-door neighbor’s cat, who is often in your backyard, is missing. You:
a) Bury the fur and rehearse your alibi
b) Apologize to Mrs. Murphy and never let Fido outdoors again
c) Trade your dog in for a cat

When the neighbors in Copperfield complain that your dog’s barking can be heard all the way to Tuscany, you:
a) Invest in “Dog Training for Dummies”
b) Tell them to invest in soundproof windows
c) Trade your dog in for a Basenji

Your black suit is covered in white fur again. You:
a) Decide to trade in basic black for winter white
b) Carry lint brushes with you everywhere and even use them on your dog
c) Trade your dog in for a Mexican hairless

When your pound of chocolate box is suddenly empty and wrappers are strewn in a path to Fido’s bed, you:
a) Follow the plan you have neatly typed out and hanging on the fridge for such emergencies
b) Panic and call your mother
c) Punish Fido — those were your favorite kind of truffles

When your dog gets a little too intimate with the chow at the Southland Off-leash Park, you:
a) Say, “Those rascals,” and walk with dignity to the car
b) Say, “That’s amore,” and look on
c) Don’t notice because you’re on your cell phone

If you answered “a” to most of these, you can pat yourself on the back — you live in a very strange, dog-centric world but try to be considerate of others.

If you answered mostly “b,” this is probably your first dog and with time you’ll come around.

If you answered “c,” you should own a ferret. Owning a dog means more than just picking up after them (and some dog parents even fail at that, so call Poooh Busters).

Luckily, Calgary for the most part is on top of it — but as we all know, there are no bad dogs, just bad guardians.

A Sad Day For The Husky's

I’m sure most of you have heard of the senseless and inhumane slaughter of the 100 dog sledding Huskys in Whistler, BC.

Outrage and sadness are my initial emotions after reading the news story and watching the coverage on the CBC news website.

After the initial emotions subside and I get a chance to think about it, I start to analyze why this happened, how it could have been handled differently and what could have been done to prevent it in the first place.

After a round of emails with Mrs. Big Nate and our friend Melaina a few things were brought to light. Firstly, some folks might have thought a mass adoption of these dogs would have been the answer. Melaina immediately squashed this idea knowing full well that these particular dogs were not in an adoptable state. They never would be. They weren’t raised in an environment of domestication and would have only posed a harmful threat to the humans who may have adopted them.

So the only answer in this case is to euthanize them. I say euthanize, not slaughter. It could have been done humanly under a vet’s care and supervision. Unfortunately, that costs a whole lot more than a few bullets and a sharp knife. It’s sad to know that the owner(s) of the company that used these dogs for their own financial gain couldn’t at least return the favour of a humane death. After all they wouldn’t have made the money they did without the dogs in the first place!

Secondly, if we as humans would just stop giving these businesses our money, they might go away! It just reminds me of the dolphins. I remember going to Mexico and seeing the “Swim with The Dolphins” attraction. I thought to myself, I didn’t know there were dolphins in Mexico. Then I went to the Dominican Republic and once more saw a similar attraction and again in Jamaica. Turns out most of these dolphins are caught by Japanese fisherman and shipped off all around the world for our entertainment. Wonder what happens to the dolphins that aren’t needed in these cases?

If you want to know more about this subject, watch a movie called “The Cove”. Be prepared for outrage and tears.

The Huskys dog sledding attraction in Whistler, BC is just another example of outright animal exploitation and cruelty. This time it’s sadly right here in our own country.

So let’s end the cycle! Stop buying puppies from a pet store, stop going to the circus, stop paying for pictures with an iguana or parrot. We as consumers and patrons have a huge responsibility to stop supporting businesses that take part in this shameful exploitation of animals and toss them away like so much garbage once they are no longer required.

Are you a Yelper?

Ever since I got my iPhone, I’ve downloaded dozens and dozens of apps. It’s hard not to be a little addicted to trying out new apps as they are released.

Most of the time, I find the apps I download are not user friendly, some may have bugs or they’re just plain useless. But every once in a while I find an app I simply love and wonder how I ever got along without it.

One such app is called Yelp. If you are familiar with Yelp.ca you know what I mean. Yelp created a wonderful site to help folks find and talk about great (and not so great) businesses.
The one thing I love about a site like Futureshop.ca is that I can read the user reviews before I buy a product. I look for overall score, how many reviews have been submitted and finally I read the reviews themselves. This really helps me determine if I should buy the product I’m thinking about.

Another great site that I use before booking any travel is Tripadvisor.com. This site is simply awesome for reviews. If you want to have a nice holiday in Mexico at an all-inclusive resort, you simply must read the traveler’s reviews of the hotel you are thinking of staying at! Again, the reviews I read make a huge impact on my decision.

Yelp.ca is set up for everyday businesses in your local area. Thinking of trying a new restaurant? Look it up on Yelp, chances are you’ll find reviews from previous diners. Want to know if that automotive place does a good job of fixing your car and at a reasonable rate? Check with Yelp first!

Yelp.ca or your Yelp iPhone app really helps you decide if you should take your chances and spend your hard earned dollars at a business you are thinking of patronizing.

So why am I telling you about this? Well because we at Poooh Busters feel we are a responsible business that provides great value to our clients as well as excellent customer service. We’ve thrown our hat into the Yelp ring and added our business to their listings.

Now people like you (our customers, past and present) can go onto Yelp and provide any kind of feedback about our business that you want others to know. Good or bad, we can take it! A company’s true worth is in its customer’s feedback.

So in order to get the ball rolling we have an offer for our weekly clients. If you as an existing client submit any Yelp feedback, we’ll give you one free week of service! That’s right, one free week for two minutes of your time and your opinion on our service.

So go to Yelp.ca today, create an account and start yelping about all your favourite and not-so-favourite businesses.

Five Star Accommodations

Do you feel sometimes your pet lives better than you do? What level of accommodations do you provide for your animals?

Mrs. Nate and I have always allowed our pets to have the run of the house. They go where they like, sleep where they like and pretty much do whatever they like.

Some might say we aren’t setting enough boundaries for our “kids” but when it comes down to it, if our pets are happy, we’re happy.When we adopted Burberry from the Calgary Humane Society, one of the staff there was slightly concerned that we were bringing this new member of our family into a home where there already existed two other cats plus two dogs. Our friend, Melaina who works there assured her co-worker, “Don’t worry, their house is like a Five Star hotel for pets.”

Since then that statement kind of stuck with me. When I look at what we provide for our brood of five, Melaina is absolutely right. The entire house is at their disposal and we provide so much specifically just for them. Kitty condos on every floor, area rugsplaced for the purpose of eating on and pet beds in several rooms.

Not only do they have all this available to them, they pretty much play, rest and sleep wherever they wish. Oscar loves to lie on his back in the mornings on our bed, snuggling down deep in our cozy duvet. The three cats sprawl out on our master bath floor as it is equipped with in-floor heating. They LOVE the heat the floor generates and spend much of their time there. Chloe hangs out on the dining room table and kitchen counters. Mojo takes up much room on the couch lying on the pillows; we’ll sit anywhere on the couch but in his spot. Heaven forbid we disturb him! Mr. Goo insists that the fireplace be turned on so he can sprawl out in front the warmth of the fire.There are constantly toys spread all over the house, they all get fed the same time every day and expect it (and there is a treat schedule too).

If dinner or snacks are late, we hear about it! The kitty litter is cleaned every day and the dogs

go for a walk not once but twice daily. Not only are the accommodations plush, they have my wife and I serving them hand and foot with play time, pets and one on one time.

Now I’m sure we’re not the only crazy ones in this world who dote over their pets. I’m sure there are a ton of homes out there where the pets rule and we as the humans sacrifice so they get what they want and when they want it. Aren't there? I hope...

How about you? What do you do to pamper your pets and keep them happy?

Resolutions For Your Dog

With the arrival of a New Year inevitably comes a variety of New Year’s "resolutions." Mrs. Nate and I don’t really believe in resolutions but we tend to secretly make ones anyway. I personally think if you’re going to do something, you’re going to do it! You don’t need a certain time of the year to begin making a change for the better.

But since we all jump onto the resolution bandwagon every year, I thought a list of resolutions that involve not only our own well-being but the well-being of our pets should be included too! So how may we improve ourselves as pet parents? What New Year’s resolutions should dog guardians consider?

Here are 9 suggestions for your consideration:

1. Provide your dog with the highest quality nutrition possible. This means researching the ingredients in dog food and often, thinking outside the grocery store kibble aisle. It’s easy to research for quality dog foods, or even better, you can ask the experts at Tail Blazers – Health Food Store for Pets. They have very knowledgeable folks working for them and carry nothing but the best food products for all pets.

2. Make it a point to ensure your dog's health through providing adequate and appropriate exercise. This is partly how Mrs. Big Nate and I lost around 90lbs each.

3. Be realistic about your dog's weight. Obesity shortens longevity, dogs, cats and people. If you can't feel your dog's ribs easily, he is too fat. We are guilty for Oscar and Mr. Goo’s obesity problem and are working on it by feeding them a raw diet.

4. Train your dog. Training is not a luxury, it is necessary. Not only will appropriate training make living with your dog more enjoyable for you, it will make life more enjoyable for your dog by providing him with the mental stimulation all dogs need and crave.

5. Make it easy for your dog to succeed. If your dog loves chewing on shoes, do not allow him unsupervised access to shoes. If your dog eliminates in the house, provide him with plenty of opportunities to eliminate outside by giving him frequent breaks.

6. Be appreciative of how wonderful your dog is. One of the biggest elements of successful training is looking for desirable behaviors and reinforcing them with something your dog likes and appreciates - a treat, a butt scratch, a game of tug, the opportunity to go for a walk. Never miss an opportunity to thank your dog for good behavior.

7. Make time for your dog. This may mean rearranging your schedule. It may mean going out in the cold or rainy weather to give your dog a walk. It may mean skipping Wednesday night book club so that you can enroll in the agility class you wanted to take. It may mean spending less time on Facebook and more time playing, training, and exercising with your dog.

8. Be a responsible dog owner - keep identification tags on your dog, renew your dog's annual license, make the annual veterinary appointment, clean up after your dog, respect leash laws, etc.

9. Help a less fortunate dog at least once this year. Remember that not all dogs are as lucky as yours. Not all dogs have regular meals, veterinary care, someone who loves them and will play with them, a home to call their own. There are many ways you can help less fortunate dogs - by making donations of either goods (beds, leashes, collars, food, toy) or cash or by volunteering your time to our local Calgary Humane Society. There are many, many rescues located in and around Calgary that could use our help as well. Our favourite rescues include ARF, ARRCS, and Little Mutt’s Rescue.