A week or so ago, I got a catalog in the mail and in it was a new product - at least new to me. Someone has captured the scent a mother dog gives off to calm her nervous puppies. No, I don't know how they did that, but this scent is advertised to calm dogs in all sorts of situations: veterinary visits, bathing and grooming, going to new places like shows or on family vacations AND thunderstorms.
Guess what? I ordered a bottle and it wasn't too long before I had a chance to try it out. Boom went the thunder and the big dog ran toward me shaking violently. Boom went the second clap and the dog wheeled around and headed under the table panting heavily. I took the bottle and sprayed his crate rug and invited him to go inside.
It worked. He went in sniffed, stretched out and went to sleep. Would it work for the small dog? I tried a couple of squirts on her crate rug and let her sniff. She cuddled up and stayed quiet. Whoopee! I can't wait until the next thunderstorm to see if this reaction was an accident or for real.
In the April issue of Dog Fancy magazine there is a section called "Living with Dogs." One part of this section reports on a "Cool Idea: Dog 'Finds' Own Sitters." It seems an owner of a golden retriever was concerned about her dog getting bored while she was at school teaching. She decided to advertise in her dog's name for a sitter. She created a letter as if it was written by the dog and sent it to 100 nearby homes. The letter stated that she (the dog) would "provide good company, protect the property and guarantee that she had a well-trained owner who would pick up droppings at the end of the day and pay a small fee." There were several responses to the letter and the dog is having great fun visiting a couple of retired schoolteachers during the day. This is an innovative idea someone else might use.
