Phoenix Animal Solutions

Oh my goodness, he finally Did It!!!! Two tennis Balls in his mouth!!!!!!

THIS IS A PSA

Puppies bite. They bite a lot. They bite hard. Their teeth are sharp. You might bleed. It might seem relentless.

Scaring the pants off them by yelling, pinning, shoving or shouting will not only do precisely zero, it will potentially create a fearful adult dog.

Puppies bite more when;
They are tired
They are hungry
They are bored
They are overstimulated
They are teething

Read that again. They bite MORE when they are the above. They will also bite when they are absolutely fine. They are dogs not dolls.

Be compassionate not scary. They will grow out of it but only if you teach them a good alternative. Trade for toys. Use a pen or a crate. Teach calmness. Reward gentle interactions. Grit your own teeth and ride it out while reinforcing good stuff and proactively managing bad stuff.

Be proactive when you know biting happens like after some play, when excitement goes up, when they are overtired (7-9pm witching hour anyone?) and give them a good chew or help them settle, or channel that energy into some training.

It does get better basically. Don’t panic. Most puppy biting isn’t aggression. Be CONSISTENT and PROACTIVE and expect more than a few bites along the way.

Signed,
Aalto the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever (aka the ginger shark)

Shylo, a 10 yr. old, 3.9lb, Chihuahua was diagnosed with Left Shoulder Instability, and was successfully treated wearing her Hobble System.

The products I design must accommodate animals of almost any size. This means they must be proportioned correctly for the breed, vs. an off-the-shelf size, i.e. Small, Medium or Large. Even with hundreds of patterns in my library, it is not unusual to need to create a new pattern proportioned correctly for a successful outcome.

The birth of the baby Panda at the National Zoo reminded me of when the Panda, Bei Bei moved to China. Fed Ex was our shipper and our representatives knew well what we did for animals, so, as a special honor, my husband and I received invitations from Fed Ex to be at Dulles Airport and be part of the send off party for Bei Bei. We were right there on the tarmack as Bei Bei was brought out to the Fed Ex custom fitted airplane and loaded onto the plane.

I treasure this memento of the event.

This seems to be my week to revisit history. This article is from Oct. 2010.

Nothing has changed, all products are designed and produced in my production room. The same attention to detail and commitment to providing the most up-to-date knowledge and appropriate solutions for the being with the latest textiles from my suppliers.

And...All products must be financially accessible to all.

I received a copy of this article from a long time colleague, she had saved it all this time. She and I began our careers at the same time, she became a veterinary physical therapist and I began DogLeggs and found my true calling, designing and producing veterinary rehabilitative and therapeutic products.

I remember this interview so well. It is hard to believe it was 17 years ago. My passion has not changed.

Happy New Year. Best Wishes for a wonderful 2020 to all!

Last week a dear sweet pup named Bristol the Rhodesian Ridgeback, lost her life to Lymphedema. This was in Bristol's case, a fatal condition. During Bristol's short 18 month life, she experienced significant edema of her rear legs and then it progressed to her chest.

I designed compression pants to help control the edema in her legs. I worked with my textile manufacturer to find a fabric that could withstand the stress on the seams while providing comfort to the coat and skin to reduce the possibility of skin breakdown. As Bristol's edema progressed we struggled to keep a bit ahead of it.

Bristol taught me a great deal. I am thankful I was a part of her Team.

Last week I visited Blue Pearl Veterinary Surgical Specialty Clinic in Overland Park, KS. Tomorrow I attend the IFAI Trade Show at the Orlando Convention Center, Orlando, Florida...and since my flight leaves Orlando at 9something...I just may find something fun to do between the closing of the trade show and when I must be at Orlando Airport...think Harry Potter World....

Meet Midas. Midas is the top working dog for an outfitter in Montana.

Midas is wearing his Hobble System to help him recover from his Left Shoulder injury. Dogs usually wear the system 24/7 for at least 8 weeks, though often longer depending on the severity of the shoulder injury.

The Hobble System is not just for dogs! I once made a Hobble System for Cuddles the Ferret who was brought into University of Tenn. for evaluation of his shoulder injury.