Kate's Pawsitive Pups

09/23/2022

❤️❤️

(Update posted below)

There’s truly no easy way to say this, and it’s always been my nature to figure things out. But I am feeling quite vulnerable and I’m reaching out to you, my friends & followers, to share for support.

On Tuesday evening when I was prepping to head out for my evening routes, my old gal, Zaida, was struck by a vehicle. Initially what seemed to be just superficial wounds, has been evolving to more complications. She has already been through one surgery to repair the wounds, but now is suffering from some GI complications of fluid in her stomach where she currently has a tube in place, and is undergoing constant imaging to see if it resolves. If not, there’s talk about another potential surgery😣She’s been under watch at the emergency vet for over 2 days now and not only do we miss the heck out of her, but we’re feeling very stretched for the upfront costs of this immense unforeseen expense, to where that “emergency fund” has already been exceeded.. that keeps climbing with every injection given.. every xray taken.. every bag of fluid refilled, every hour she remains in ICU.

Thank you to my clients on Tuesday who I had to abruptly reschedule on, and for everyone else for understanding my tardiness with responding back to inquiries. Thank you to those willing to meet over the weekend so I can catch up and not put you all behind. It’s been a rough 48 hrs.. but we are holding onto hope! 🙏🏻

I always try to be transparent with others when it comes to my feelings and emotions, I mean, many of my clients know stories of my days, etc. so it’s no exception here that I just put this out here. If it’s a cup of coffee you trade for a small donation for my girl, you all will have NO idea how much it’s appreciated. If you can’t, every ounce of me says that’s OK!! A quick “share” can go a long way! All avenues of support I am beyond thankful for🙏🏻❤️

I Appreciate you all! 🐾

UPDATE: 9/23 Little Zaida is currently recovering from pancreatitis. The vet performed 2 NG tube extractions from her stomach, as well as a complete stomach lavage. The impact slowed down her gut to a point where she wasn’t processing anything, and it all was just gumming up. Alot of typical Zaida munchies like bark and gravel and grass were recovered from her gut, which she normally poops right out, haha, but of course due to her injury, everything was put on hault. She still remains on IV fluids, medication, and constant xray imaging to ensure things are moving. I’m cringing at the final check-out to be honest, I’m literally expecting them to say “and your remaining balance is $10,000…” 😥 like, hang on, let me go sell my car and furniture real quick… oyyy. I can’t thank you all enough for your positive thoughts, incredibly generous donations, and messages. It leaves me so hopeful that she can maybe come home today. Any and all donations are still SOOO appreciated as we figure this all out. So much love to you all❤️

Venmo: -Caruso (last 4 is 0153)
https://gofund.me/4fa916da

01/11/2022

It’s been a hot minute… or more like 2 years…. Since I have done ANY TRAINING SESSIONS😳

I repeat. TWO YEARS!

My goodness. Because of the constant ups and downs and the unknowns of COVID, I had decided to take a hiatus from my business. I remain humbled and so appreciative of everyone’s support and show of love on my page even still, through the madness of today’s world.

My love and devotion for dogs and their well being has NEVER faded. I am still EAGER to help. Today, it is in a different way, and I am happy to announce Kate’s Pawsitive Pup’s “little sister” business, Paws 2 Go, my mobile nail trimming service! Over the past couple of months I have met a need of MANY dogs and their owners as they continue to navigate through this pandemic. Groomers are either backed up or closing their doors, & veterinary offices are not even taking in grooming services. The feeling of being able to help people and their dogs in a way I know how satisfies me and something I am proud of!!

So, if you are a local follower in CT that can benefit from this type of service or know someone who can, please do me a favor and share!!!

I hope all of you continue to be well, and don’t forget to love your dog today! 🐾❤️

10/31/2021

Happy Howl-O-Ween!! 🐾 🧡🖤

Let’s see your Halloween pups!!

07/19/2021

Always an important reminder!!

Remember.. dog training is MORE about teaching PEOPLE how to interact with dogs and understanding their body language & needs, to avoid the behaviors that we find an issue.

Bottom line.. stop offering the hand!

🛇 Use your Manners! 🛇
The Sniff test - Stop doing that!
The sniff test - a badly engrained habit that society has been taught, without a clear understanding of what they're actually doing.

🚩When you reach out towards a dog, you are using body pressure AT them, giving them no time to assess whether you are safe & whether they require further investigation to pick up your information. You are forcing an interaction of a relationship that hasn't had time to develop. To some dogs, this is quite rude & the reason a lot of dogs snap at or bite people. This can cause alot of behavioral issues because of layered stress due to forced interactions.

🚩If they are on lead, they have no where to go if they are sensitive to spacial pressure, so can end up shutting down, shying away or snapping at your hand so you back off. This is an example of how a dog is now using pressure to turn off pressure & make you back off so they aren't so stressed.

🚩People think by offering your hand it can give the dog time to sniff to know you're friendly... they can sniff without being forced to sniff your hand.Their noses are far more superior than ours & they don't need close contact forced upon them to smell you.

🚩Some dogs might not want to know you. You have no relationship with them and that's perfectly fine. They aren't your dog so you don't need to touch them or steal pats for your own satisfaction.

🤔 If you are meeting a dog, what should you do?
⚠Ask the owner if you can interact with their dog. Not all people want strangers touching their dogs. Especially strangers who you are unlikely to see again.
⚠Stand up straight & relaxed, with your hands at your side.
⚠Ignore the dog & talk to the owner.
⚠Don't stare at the dog & don't try to force an interaction by going in for a pat. If the dog wants to know you, it will come up to you & sniff around. Usually they will move away & then come back for a second sniffathon. Some dogs will bunt your hands & wag their tails, which are good signs that you're likely an accepted new friend. Give them a few slow pats down their back (NOT THEIR HEAD) & then stop. Is the dog happy? Has it accepted your interaction? This will determine whether you can give it more pats.

🐶This is a more stress free option for dogs & a reason why in consultations we can develop a good level of trust, especially with fearful dogs & aggressive dogs, without a bunch of negative side effects from forced interactions.

01/02/2021

A simple thought!

A dog should never be punished for growling.. a common misconception, especially when it comes to dogs interacting with children.

A dog’s growl is a distinct and very clear warning that there is someone or something making him uncomfortable. Listen to it. Be grateful for it. If we punish the growl, we are essentially telling the pup to skip this (very necessary) warning, and to just go straight to a bite! Yikes!! 😬

Aka... it’s just like taking the batteries out of your smoke alarm. No one wants to skip the very important warning!!

12/17/2020

Yikes! Thanks Timehop, for the yearly reminder of why it is so important to vaccinate your animals for Rabies!!

And I will continue to share this each year that it pops up!!

8 Years ago, the unlikely event of me getting bit at work happened, by a 90lb German Shepherd dog during his first exam with us at the Veterinary clinic. He had not been vaccinated for Rabies for several years past his due date. Why, I can never understand. There literally is no excuse. It is the law, it protects the public, and spares your dog's life should he ever bite anyone or any other animal. Had I not already been pre-exposure vaccinated for Rabies, this dog's life may have been condemned to make sure the virus was not a concern, for my life. I would have absolutely hated to have that on my conscience. However, he still did have to follow the state guidelines of being quarantined with animal control for a set amount of time.

The scars have now thankfully healed as best they can with little evidence of this trauma. But accepting the scar in the beginning was not easy. Over the years as it healed, it was discolored, raised, and on multiple occasions, complete strangers found it OK to make jokes to my face being hickey related. I even went as far as consult for laser correction. So, I will never stop advocating that great Veterinary care is in your hands. YOU are responsible for vaccinating your cats and dogs. The next Technician or person to get bit may not be so lucky, and neither will your pet. VACCINATE, damnit!!!

12/11/2020

How amazing are dogs?

I stumbled on hearing this small story while cooking dinner tonight for the little humans. I had to rewind, and re-watch. Pretty amazing, wouldn’t you say??!! 🤯

12/09/2020

Don’t punish the growl! 🐾

Bomb Proof and other unrealistic expectations…..

Quite a few years ago, I did a consultation with a family whose young dog had growled and snapped at their three-year-old child, when the child had woken the dog from sleep or approached the dog while he as chewing a bone. While there were some other factors that were making the dog feel generally a little anxious and defensive, I made it very clear that the child’s behaviour needed to stop immediately, or she would get bitten sooner or later. I was told this was going to be a problem to implement, because the child was deliberately approaching the dog in order to get a response from the parents. I reiterated that if things continued like this the child would get bitten – 6 weeks later she was bitten in the face. Luckily for her it was not too serious an injury and luckily for the dog there was an extended family member who was willing to adopt him at that point and keep him out of harm’s way.

Stories like this are unfortunately all too common. A popular question in puppy class is “how do I stop my puppy from growling at my child”. My response is always to ask in what context this is happening and the answer is always something like:

When he touches her while she’s sleeping
When she pulls his ears or tail
When he picks her up
When she hugs or kisses him
When he grabs her collar

When we try to explain that this is a child problem, not a dog problem, we get blank stares. Then statements or questions like: Isn’t the dog supposed to tolerate all this? A good dog never growls. My previous dog allowed my children to climb all over her. How am I supposed to make sure visiting children don’t do any of this? But my children don’t listen or they are too young to understand. A dog that is around kids should be bomb-proof, surely?

Here’s the thing – there is no such thing as a bomb-proof dog. Some dogs are more tolerant than others, yes. Some dogs feel less threatened or anxious about certain invasions of their space, yes. Some dogs are also a lot more shut down and have given up trying to express when they are uncomfortable, because of punishment. But ALL dogs have their limits. All dogs will get to a point where if they are pushed too far, they will use aggression to make someone back off and leave them alone. Those dogs that have been allowed to express their feelings and have had subtle displays of discomfort (looking away, moving away, growling) respected will be far more likely to give plenty of warning when pushed too far. Those who have found that telling people how they feel results in bad things happening, will not. They will be more likely to go straight to a bite.

If you want your child to be safe around your dog, train your child how to behave. Teach your child to respect your dog’s space and their body. Don’t allow your child unsupervised access to your dog. And just as importantly, listen to your dog’s warnings: Don’t punish them for politely letting you know that they don’t like something. If they are uncomfortable with having your child anywhere near them, then please get help from a behaviour practitioner who will show you how to create better associations with your child for your dog. If your dog doesn’t like your child, most of the time it is because of what your child is doing to your dog, whether they intend harm or not. If you think it is hard to teach your child or get across to them what they should and should not do, what chance have you got trying to explain this to another species? Instead of expecting a dog to be something other than a dog, first educate and manage your child.