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Are you a dog lover? If so, we want to hear from you! In this group, you can connect with other dog owners to dicuss the diversity of this phenomenal pet, as well as how best to care for the health and well-being of your canine companions.
The Best Supplements for Senior Dogs
Dogs today live longer than ever before, but with this increase in longevity comes more health issues. Luckily, these 7 supplements have been found to… Read More ▶
[The Kibble] Stray Dog Follows Bikers Through Tibet For 24 Days!
Welcome to The Kibble the news blog for dog lovers. This week: a stray dog proves she can rough it out following a bike team… Read More ▶
Interview: New WoofTrax App 'Walk for a Dog' Promotes Canine Exercise and Pays Shelters for Your Walk!
A free new app makes your dog walk count more than ever. Read More ▶
Gus The Pit Bull: Can A Dog That's Attacked REALLY Reform? - January 8, 2015 UPDATE!
UPDATE: Apparently, not even Cesar could help Gus. Shocking new video shows Gus brutally attacking another dog. Read More ▶
That Device from "Up?" Yeah, That's Actually a Thing Now: Canine Thought Translator On The Market!
The No More Woof allows dogs to share what they really think with you: Read More ▶
Roosevelt the Border Collie Won't Let Disability Get Him Down!
Check out the spunky Border Collie, named Roosevelt who has a love for life! His wheelchair makes it easy for him to get around and… Read More ▶
[Paws & Awws] Top 5: Best Dog Breeds For Kids
I could have easily made 15 selections, but I wanted to focus on five. I selected these five breeds for their particular long standing positive… Read More ▶
[Paws & Awws] Potty Training an Older Dog
Potty training your dog is one of the most important parts of dog ownership - but that doesn ' t mean it 's easy! Here… Read More ▶
Dog Breeds Group Wall
8 Comments
Rachel said:
Where is this company coming up with the money they are donating? The app is free and if they collect donations somewhere are they donating all the raised money no matter how many dogs are walked? I'm just confused on their business model and the total lack of information available. 7/22- Erin Froehlich said:
Hi Rachel!
The money comes from donations and corporate sponsors who pay for the right to advertise their products to Walk for a Dog's users. The more people using the app to walk their dogs, the more advertisements on the app will be worth and the more companies will be interested in paying for advertising, so the more money the company will have available to send to shelters. So, there's no worry about matching the donations if suddenly everyone in the country starts using the app. The more it's used, the more money the company will make from sponsors.
According to their website "To maximize the donation to your selected animal organization, share the app with your friends and get the word out! It’s the number of Walk for a Dog users and the number of times they use the app that counts the most. Our past donations have ranged from 11 cents to 25 cents per mile depending on the number of walkers for an organization. The more people walking the more we can donate."7/23 
Regi said:
Why do we link up with a credit card when we sign up?8/15- Erin Froehlich said:
Hi Regi!
I wasn't sure, so I contacted their CEO, Mr. Doug Hexter to ask. His response:
"The app is free, but Apple at least will not let you have an app store account to download any app - even free ones - without giving them a credit card. This is their policy, not ours."8/18 
Matthew said:
Is there going to be Canadian shelters or locations avalible or is this just for the US shelters 10/31
Katie said:
How can treadmill walkers participate? Our health clubs are willing to partner with our local shelter and advertise on the treadmills! That's a lot of miles!11/2- Erin Froehlich said:
Matthew - I checked back in with Mr. Hexter and he said they will most likely expand to Canada in early 2015!
Katie- Unfortunately, they can't at this point. :/ It's primarily set up as a GPS app, so significant changes would need to be made in order to open that possibility up before it could be offered. Mr. Hexter didn't say "never" though. Just "not for now."11/3 - sandy said:
I have been looking at the Wolf Tracks app and I see a lot of negative remarks about bugs, issues, not tracking right, shutting off, email issues for just even trying to make an account etc. Hardly ever a response and never a fix for the problems. I looks like when they first started things ran pretty smooth. But I am not sure I want to hassle with this. Get it fixed please and I will consider signing up.11/15
- 26 Comments
Robin said:
A few things you might find interesting. First, this is not the first vicious dog Jenny has been unable to handle. The first, was a dog that killed her "Maggie" that she named her group after. Gus obviously, she pawned off on Amber, rather than leave the other dog she was boarding with her, she picked him up, and left Gus.
Jenny's rescue, is registered as a for profit business, even though she claims to be a 501c3. She was also not 'trained" by Caesar Milan. He's group runs a periodic workshop for dog owners. It's more of a fan event, than formal training. 6/6- Nancy said:
This really sounds like a dangerous dog. I would be I. Favor of either euthanasia or a sanctuary where tere is no chance of him getting loose and hurting someone!6/6 - Lisbeth said:
Real behavioral scientists know there is a thing called 'spontaneous recovery'. This means that when an animal shows a behavior you don't like, and you train that behavior out of the animal, the behavior will sometimes spontaneously resurface despite the training. This can happen months or even years later. When you are training away annoying behavior, spontaneous recovery is no big deal. You repeat the training process, then it can again be months or years before it shows up again. When you're talking about life-threatening behavior, spontaneous recovery is a big deal. I find it fairly strange that so many people who claim to be experts seem completely unaware of spontaneous recovery -- or maybe they're just willing to expose the public to the risks it involves. 6/8 - Denise said:
I am sorry but I don't think I believe either of them fully. Something VERY strange is going on here with BOTH of these women, and I think Gus is caught in the middle of it. That he attacked Amber is undeniable, however what precipitated the attack is in question. Can I ask a very simple question here that it doesn't seem anyone else thought of...why did Amber have a TASER so close to where she houses her dogs? I find that to be the most suspicious thing in all of this, and is why I lean more towards believing Amber was abusive towards Gus than helpful. In cases like this (a she-said/she-said), isn't it most humane to give Gus the benefit of the doubt and allow an acknowledged expert to evaluate Gus? Cesar Millan is not going to adopt out an animal that would make him look bad in any way. If Mr. Millan decides Gus is not adoptable, I am certain he would place Gus in a facility that could care for him properly for the rest of his life or care for him in his own facility. Either way, Gus would no longer be a danger to an unprepared individual and/or would no longer suffer from abuse of any kind. IMHO6/26 - Martha said:
Gus was at it again....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4MMMMp8alI6/29 - Robert said:
Just like you, Denise, I think there is way more to this story. And the fact that Amber was hell bent on this dog being put down, then agreed to his going for rehab....Me thinks the other side would have exposed her and ripped her to shreds and that's why the city attorney told her, it was probably in her best interest to settle. I wonder what they would have exposed.
As far as that new video of Gus, notice no one lets you see what led up to that attack. How do we know that the other dog didn't start with Gus. Gus may be an aggressive dog, which in itself is no big deal if you gave a responsible owner, but Amber was clearly not capable of dealing with him and that video is BS. 6/30 
Marc said:
Please look at this excellent page about what is safe to live with and what's not when it comes to dog aggression. It gives a realistic and nuanced background, based on real behavioral science:
http://www.daxtonsfriends.com/what-is-dog-aggression/
7/1- Erin Froehlich said:
Denise - "why did Amber have a TASER so close to where she houses her dogs?"
Denise purchased a taser after housing another aggressive dog sent to her by Romano. She had a child in the home and it was kept as a safety precaution. She had called Romano telling her she felt unsafe with the dog in the house and wanted her to pick him up immediately. Instead, she was ignored and left with a dog she was scared of for several days before it finally attacked her. Left to deal with a dog you felt was dangerous, wouldn't you want some way to defend yourself near by in case something actually happened?
"I find that to be the most suspicious thing in all of this, and is why I lean more towards believing Amber was abusive towards Gus than helpful."
I truly don't believe the allegations of abuse being thrown at Rickles. As mentioned, Romano had more than one dog in Rickles care. Had she truly believed her to be abusive, why did she wait so long to pick up the other dog after the attack took place? Being an animal lover, I would imagine that at the first hint of anything abusive going on she would have rushed over to remove them from the situation!
Robert - "Me thinks the other side would have exposed her and ripped her to shreds and that's why the city attorney told her, it was probably in her best interest to settle."
She hasn't settled. There civil case is still ongoing.
"Gus may be an aggressive dog, which in itself is no big deal if you gave a responsible owner..."
Even a responsible, experienced owner can be attacked by an aggressive dog. There are so, SO many non-aggressive dogs that are being euthanized each day for the simple lack of a home. Wouldn't it be better to see one of these dogs go to that responsible owner?7/1 - brent said:
More info http://www.examiner.com/article/animal-cruelty-fraud-and-lies-jennifer-romano-of-maggie-s-house-rescue9/5 - MJ said:
The decision to "settle" was not made by Amber. The county DA is the one who agreed to Gus going to Cesar the dog-kicker. Look for inconsistencies...Romano said Gus is afraid of crates, yet she set his up at Ambers. Romano and her supporters claim Gus never showed any aggression, but one of her "board of directors" , Sue Clayton, would not allow him in her house after she illegally obtained the dog. Not only that, but after keeping Gus in a crate on her back deck for about a week (in the rain with an electric space heater) and then adopting him out, he was returned to a shelter a few days later and deemed "unadoptable due to aggression". Clayton picked him up, and then dumped him with Romano's fake rescue. 9/5 - Damian said:
I think one of the so called "knowledgeable" rescuers that caused all the drama should be required to keep Gus in their home for the remainder of his life. Maybe then they will learn to use their head instead of their heart in making decisions concerning animal welfare.9/5 - Ashleyashley said:
I agree let Jenny keep Gus. Let him sleep in her bed and reside with her dogs. No better plan out there. The people who are passing judgement on Amber have never meet her and don't know the set up or dedication she has had since I meet her 15 years ago, in fact when we meet she was heavily involved in bully rescue. She has been a certified trainer for 10 years. She has trained service dogs and dogs used by the police department, she is no amiture. I wish truly wish you all could have known her and her capabilities before passing judgement. I am lucky to call her my friend and previous Co worker. I helped her with her business after the incident because she couldn't use her arm for months and eventually had to have a bone graft and additional surgery to fix, her attention to detail and ability to evaluate all the dogs was outstanding. Shame on you people for victimizing the victim. 9/6 - c said:
I have known Amber for many years and use to work with/for her. she is a truly kind hearted person and I fully believe her story. I am not siding with her simply because I know her but because i know her love for dogs and have seen her in action numerous times working with them. She was always patient and loving. I haven't spoken with her recently but know that her whole life has been turned upside down, especially emotionly/mentally because of this. I know she didn't abuse Gus and I do feel bad for him because he was just acting out what he felt was right to him. But any dog who brutally attacks someone for 20mins (would've been longer if help didn't arrive) regardless of what happened, something is very wrong with them. Even with tons of training in my opinion could never really be trusted again. 9/6 - Irene said:
It's not that dogs don't 'deserve' second chances (although a dog with this level of aggressive capability is not suitable to be placed in any community). The real issue is that there are WAY TOO MANY dogs in need of re-homing. Aggressive dogs in rescue require a lot more in terms of resources, as rehabilitation for them can be extensive and requires expert handling. That kind of training adds up. Those are resources that could be used on dogs that are already adoptable. Perfectly adoptable dogs are being euthanized daily around the world, and aggressive dogs in rescue sit around longer waiting for a home while they suck up valuable resources. I hate saying it that way, because I know many dogs who are fearful/aggressive didn't get a choice in becoming that way - many are subjected to abuse or neglect. But the hard facts still stand. Perfectly adoptable dogs are being euthanized while dogs like Gus take up space and resources. Sometimes it must come down to a choice, as unpleasant as that may be, simply because there are not enough homes for all homeless dogs!10/14 - Christal said:
Maybe he attacked her because she slammed his foot in the door and it was instinct. 10/19 - Erin Froehlich said:
Are you implying she hurt Gus purposefully? Why would she do that? As for his response being instinct, a nip in reaction may be instinct, but Gus's reaction went far beyond that. He continued attacking for half and hour. He has also attacked another dog since being sent to Cesar Millan's rehab center. This is a dog with definite, abnormal aggressive tendencies.10/21 - Riley said:
UPDATE: Gus was taken out of the facility that Cesar Millan runs a couple of weeks ago by the "owner" and supposedly left with a foster, he was deemed rehabilitated. Gus reportedly attacked a woman (https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=374992935999107&id=315599808605087&refid=17) at the friend's home and broke her arm, the dog was then "confiscated" by animal control from Cesar Millan and is now in quarantine for this second attack, e.g. same thing that he did to the lady in Texas. But, hey, everyone got their 15 minutes of fame off of the tragedy that is this dog, who cares about the horrific injuries that innocent folks suffer through? Who cares about how the dog is kept in continual quarantine because "concerned" people have to use the dog to prove their "humane" points...10/24 - Betty said:
Riley's comment is incorrect. Gus was removed from Caesar Milan's before he bit the second lady. He was removed against Caesar' advice.
Given time, I imagine Caesar could have helped Gus but frankly, I think the money would be better spent on helping non-aggressive dogs that need medical or retraining help.
I'm glad the Lexus Project took on the case, as it helped set some new court precedents, but I don't think Gus should ever live outside of a sanctuary--if at all. There are simply too many wonderful dogs, losing their lives out there, to waste resources on such a damaged dog.10/25 - Ohplease said:
Betty, "Given time, I imagine Caesar could have helped Gus". Seriously? It was claimed that Gus' rehabilitation at Cesar's facility would take two weeks. And yet he was there full-time for SIX MONTHS, attacked two dogs while in there, and then six days after he left, he AGAIN mauled two ppl and again broke someone's arm!
Exactly how much "time" would you give Cesar, for God's sake?
And apart from that, do you really believe Cesar has ever even met Gus? Wow, bit naive, honey.11/9 - Ohplease said:
And by the way Betty, Riley's comment is not, as you say, incorrect. Try reading it again.11/9 - Anne said:
Many Golden Retrievers attack people, and Cesar Milan's training methods have been thoroughly discredited by experts with degrees in canine behavior. In fact, his confrontational methods can make dogs' behavior worse. They should let someone who uses more modern, scientifically based methods, like Eldad Hagar, work with Gus.1/11 - Robin said:
There is no evidence that Cesar Millan has ever met Gus. While Gus was at his DPC, Millan has been globe hoping doing his live show and making public appearances.
This is the judgement from the court in LA.
http://advocatesforamber.org/home-2/1/11 - Lee said:
To Erin Froehlich: It is truly a shame that you didn't check with reputable dog-breeders, or at least read a book or two about dog-breeding before writing this article. If you had, you wouldn't have said: "Most people now understand that bad dog behavior comes from poorly or inadequately trained dogs. Aggression is not in-born or destined just because a dog happens to be a certain breed." If certain traits (including aggression) were not "inborn" (incidentally, there's no hyphen in the word), there wouldn't be so many different dog breeds. It is those inborn characteristics that differentiate between the breeds. If there were no inborn characteristics and instead a dog's behavior was solely the result of "training," fox hunters could train Great Danes to chase fox, ranchers could train French poodles to herd animals, and Michael Vick would have been fighting collies! Just because there is a ridiculous "Pit Bull Awareness Day" doesn't make these monsters any less dangerous. Last month alone (January 2015), three people in the US -- an elderly man, a toddler and a 7-year-old boy -- were murdered by dogs and the culprits in all three deaths were pit bulls! 2/5 - K said:
Lee: you're ignorant and an idiot and guilty of "not checking facts". Your opinions are anti-breed driven, and just like any other biased and uneducated person, without a foundation and untrue. Pit bulls have a rich history of being faithful companions, dating back to WWI and II. They are loyal, brave, unconditionally loving, and intelligent. And of course, as in ANY breed, there can be the random anomalies or mental defect. Similar to humans. And the majority of aggressive behavorial issues are caused by bad ownership! For example, when your kid grows up to be a jerk, I would blame YOU for being a crappy parent. Do not act like the humans have zero responsibility. To imply that its a bad breed is stupid, uneducated and hateful. Have you by chance checked the attacks on people from other breeds? They are the same and in some areas, more. And did you know that the pit bull consistently scores very high on the temperament test, beating out a few of the favored breeds. And OF COURSE a negative pit bull story will make the news. There's a stigma against them, made worse by people like you. Have yoy also looked up the many many poaitive stories? How they have acted bravely to save their families or their human? Do some research before you try to lecture other people with nothing but your opinions to support you. Ten years ago, you hated the rottweiler, and before that, the German shepherd and doberman. Will you finally be happy when all that's left is what you deem appropriate? Is a chihuahua OK for you? Even though its ranked in the top 3 of most aggressive breeds and most likely to bite? Is it because its small and you're not afraid of it? When your done with your pointless crusade against an innocent breed of animals, take it up a notch and go for some ethnic cleansing. Same concept built on the same hate for what toy don't understand and deem lesser than you. Abusers, breed specific legislators and people like YOU are the real monsters.2/7 - Nicholas said:
I just can't believe the stupidity of all this . Women trying to make babies of fighting dogs - it doesn't work . How is a rescue " angel/trainer " who allows a dog in their controle to fight and maul any different to a dog fighter ? It makes not a whit of difference to the animal being mauled wether it's intentional or not . Oh but there is one difference - non of the attacks I read about on here are caused by dog fighters , only rescues , trainers and pet owners . A fighting dog will fight - be prepaid to deal with it . 2/7 
Heather said:
The "type" has issues, and lets get factual, "Pit Bull" is not a breed, it is a TYPE of dog that actually encompasses several distinct breeds as well as mixes. The type has been grossly overbred by horrible irresponsible people inbred horrifically to isolate "Blue" and "Red" and to promote massive muscling with absolutely no care or thought put into temperament or stability in behavior for more than 2 decades. The tyep also goes through three behavioral milestones in it's development, puppyhood almost always is sweet and gregarious, teenager into adulthood and then between 3-7 years of age they go through another testing phase where they challenge authority again. Good owners handle it seemlessly, and alot of the dogs dont have gross aggression escalation during this phase but some DO and that's where the headlines come from. As a bahaviorist who has evaluated hundreds of these dogs after they have mauled people, interviewed their families, I want to be CLEAR and say that I have NEVER encountered a family that abused one of them, never encountered a dog that was beaten or neglected. What I saw instead were families that trusted a dog that they had had it's entire life, that they believed was socialized stable and safe and they did not recognize subtle warning signs the dogs gave that trouble was brewing, and even when they saw those signs, they did not believe their beloved dog was capable of what it later did. This is a problem in this type of dog that fancier MUST recognize and accept if there is any hope of ever getting it under control. This endless blaming the victims that is being done must stop, there IS a problem within the dogs themselves and the people who claim to love this type of dog need to acknowledge it and start working to correct it or eventually society WILL universally ban and exterminate them, and that would be a tragedy, because these dogs are worthy of being saved.2/24
- 3 Comments
- Gwynn said:
I am not sure I can afford this but having a dog that had early abuse and deals with what I call PTSD issues, it would be a big help to know what she is thinking and maybe be able to help her past some rocky spots. 3/8 - Erin Froehlich said:
Aww.. poor puppy! :( I just can't understand how anyone could abuse an animal. Glad her story ended well though and she has you now!
The idea of using the No More Woof for PTSD therapy is really interesting. As of right now, of course, dogs still wouldn't be able to really understand what we're saying, but even still, the device may give owners of dogs with PTSD a better idea of when their dog is feeling scared and needs comforting.3/10 
James said:
With "voice recognition" software, maybe some day "Dug" will be able to post here. 1/14
- 3 Comments
Nancy said:
Oh my gosh, these dog clothes or "out fits" crack me up - my two dogs hate yes, it's a strong word but true hate any clothes on. We bought sweaters for them because it's so cold out and they just can't stand it!2/25- Erin Froehlich said:
haha! Yeah, most dogs and cats can't.
To be honest, I was a little worried there'd be people offended by the idea of a doggie fashion show. I know there are people who would go so far as to call it abuse! For me, I've made a few sweaters for my mom's balding Cornish Rex cat, but those are to help keep him warm. I wouldn't advocate putting clothing on animals otherwise unless they were safe, didn't impede their movement, and they happened not to mind them. For a short period of time like this though, some of the dogs might have been slightly uncomfortable, but it didn't hurt them. These dogs seem not to mind anyhow!2/26 - Nika said:
Genuine human attention and care, and activities shared with their owners is what makes dogs happy. They suffer more if they are fed organic food, washed with organic shampoo and groomed on schedule while being kept in he backyard 24/7 with nothing to do but bark at squirrels. A funny outfit for an hour is not that much of a deal for most, compared to an outing filled with meeting new people and dogs, hugs and wags. And a smile or two on a total stranger's face might get an extra bonus. It's a win-win.1/8
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