Brrrrrr! It’s been a long chilly winter and we still have a way to go before the dog’s walk will be sunny & warm again. Bundle up in our 50% off WOOL SWEATERS for your winter walks.

LOVE YOUR POOCH LIKE MAD? Show just how much you love them by giving them a SPA Day at the DDL. Winter is a great time to shave your pup's pads to remove excess hair that tracks in water, dirt, snow & ice. Not to mention, they slide on your floors like wild! We will trim you pup's nails, shave their pads & apply a moisturizing wax rub for just $20. Think about what your feet would feel like if you walked barefoot in the cold. Give your pooch a pawdicure today! Make a reservation now!

DDL has 3 convenient locations, thanks to you, our loyal customers. Please feel free to refer a friend and get a COMPLIMENTARY BATH. While our country faces trying financial times, we want to do all that we can to keep our clients happy, because you are what keep us going! Trying to save money? Take a look at our annual and semi annual packages.

What can we do better? Please help us out by logging on to our DDL survey and receive free spa services.

Did you know DDL carries only the finest dog food products? That’s right! We now carry THE BLUE BUFFALO Co BLUE, California Natural, EVO, ORIJEN, ADDICTION & CANIDAE. Click here for a coupon to get $5 off your next bag of 15lbs or more.

We want to be your one-stop shop for all your pooch needs… Daycare, Overnighters, Baths, Grooming, Training, Treats & Chow! Thanks for subscribing to our newsletter and please pass our link along to your other pooch-loving friends!

Here’s to a happy & healthy 2009 for everyone!
Elise Vincentini
elise@downtowndoglounge.com

$69 Overnight Stay and Bath!
Planning a little getaway with the one you love? Don't forget to make your boarding reservations at Downtown Dog Lounge. We offer boarding at all 3 of our locations, 7 days a week. $69 will get your pooch an overnight stay on February 14th, along with a bath and brushout.

BLING Sweetheart Spa Special
February 14th get a heart charm, recondition, teeth brushing, photo… the works! Just $20!

Make your reservation here!

Food for Thought:
How Nutrition Affects Canine Behavior and Performance by Steve Duno

If there is a common denominator among all dogs, it’s their love of a good mouthful of chow. Though some are more food-centric than others, they all appreciate a good meal, and show it every day in their unbounded excitement at dinner time, or in the joyous way they respond to offered treats, chews or unexpected leftovers.

Chow Power
Luckily, we can use a dog’s love of food to our advantage. Who hasn’t taught a puppy to sit for a cookie? Basic obedience training and behavioral modifications in general are made easy by utilizing the promise of food, especially to a dog willing to move heaven and earth for the right snack. Most dogs quickly learn to associate a desired behavior with a reward; it’s the primary mechanism behind much of the training we do. So long as you invoke a behavior and then reinforce it with food or some other desirable, you can shape canine behavior to your liking.

But food doesn’t always play a positive role in the behavior of dogs. Food obsession, overfeeding, theft and possessiveness can turn even the nicest dog into a fixated hound from hell. Even a dog’s physical well-being can be adversely affected by the wrong nutritional strategy; disease caused by dietary deficiencies, obesity, diabetes, allergic reactions, hyperactivity- the list is long. Clearly, what we feed and how we feed it plays a major role in behavior and trainability.

Diet and Behavior
Feeding the right food to your dog is essential for good behavior. What exactly is the right food? It depends. Puppies need higher amounts of protein, fat, vitamins and minerals than adult dogs; for this reason we feed puppies foods specifically formulated for them. Conversely, adult dogs fed a diet too rich in protein, fat or other nutrients can gain weight or even develop behavioral problems. Too much protein for instance can cause hyper-activity, resulting in misbehavior. Large breed puppies have unique needs as well; unlike other breeds, they often do better on less protein once reaching six months of age, to avoid accelerated growth and the accompanying skeletal problems. And the slowing metabolisms of senior dogs call for lower protein, lower-calorie formula foods, to prevent obesity.

Always err on the side of quality when purchasing dog food, as poor-quality foods inevitably produce poor health and behavior. If in doubt, buy from a reputable local pet store instead of a supermarket, and opt for a product formulated and manufactured by the same company. Be wary of foods using ingredients acquired overseas (especially wheat gluten and other fillers), and opt for natural preservatives such vitamin E instead of chemical additives. Meat should always be the first ingredient!

Feeding Schedules
When you feed your dog can substantially affect its behavior and attitude. For instance, those who free-feed, or leave food out all day, will find their dog’s food drive to be somewhat less strong than dogs fed on a regular schedule. Though not necessarily a bad thing, a reduced food drive can hinder training efforts, as the dog won’t be as predictably hungry. Knowing when your dog will be hungry is a great help in training, as the yearn for food often spurs a dog on to learn and perform faster. And scheduled feedings help normalize housetraining habits, a major factor in pet/owner harmony.

Food’s Role in Training
The best time to train a dog is an hour before feeding time, when it’s hungry but not famished. It will be responsive to treat rewards, but not so hungry as to become unmanageable. When initiating a new behavior such as “Sit,” treats are often the most effective motivator; as soon as the dog performs the desired behavior, it gets a treat reward and praise, to reinforce the behavior. As the behavior becomes ingrained, however, the use of treats should be reduced; intermittent, unpredictable reinforcement actually strengthens the behavior in the same way that the gambling response in humans works. By rewarding the slot machine player randomly, the urge to gamble gets stronger. That’s how intermittent reward works with dogs.

The type of treat is also important. Dogs with high food drives will perform for normal kibble, but often it pays to use something extra special to really stoke the response factor. Bits of cheese or cooked egg, dried chicken or beef - whatever the dog deems special will accelerate the learning curve.

Be careful not to overdo treat training. To build a meaningful relationship with your pooch, you have to get him or her to obey you out of respect, and not because you are the purveyor of tidbits. I see too many dogs who won’t pay a lick of attention unless food is involved. Working basic obedience, setting rules and boundaries, being consistent, and not making your dog the center of attention will do a lot more to ensure loyalty and respect than any treat.

Smart but Chubby?
Treats can catch up to even the most active dog. If owners don’t factor daily treats into a dog’s total caloric intake, obesity can creep up. If using your dog’s normal kibble for treat training, the best method is to know exactly how much kibble per day your dog should eat to maintain proper body weight, and then simply subtract kibble treats from that amount. If you don’t, your dog could end up eating 20-30% more than it needs to eat each day. If you use other treats, calculate their caloric value and reduce meal amounts accordingly. Most dog food manufacturers either state caloric values on the package or have them available online.

Begging
Don’t fall victim to a beggar, as it’s the fastest way to a disobedient, obese dog. Owners who reward the begging dog with tidbits not only create fat pets; they encourage pushy behavior by teaching the dog that it can coerce you into surrendering food. Resist that; instead, give your dog no-calorie praise, and place any tidbits into its dish after asking it to sit.

Curbing Food Aggression
A food-obsessed dog can become protective of its dish, and of any accessible food. This behavior can lead to aggression, especially toward children, who can get bitten when innocently reaching for the dog’s dish, or even their own food. It becomes vital then for owners to establish the right of all humans to touch a dog’s dish whenever they choose. To do so, owners should randomly pick up the dog’s empty dish during the day, ask it to sit, place a treat in the dish then put it down. At the same time, never leave food out around the home, especially that which your children might be eating. And don’t free-feed; when food is always there, it becomes easier to covet. Conditioning your dog to think that you handling its dish means good things to come will defuse the possessive element.

By understanding and managing the power of food with regard to your dog’s behavior, you’ll prevent problems before they start. Remember: to a dog, eating is more than just a tasty diversion; it’s a near-saintly event. By managing food properly, you’ll gain the upper hand in behavior as well as good health. Good things in, good things out!

Steve Duno's "Be The Dog" Seminar
About: Join us at our Capitol Hill location for a seminar with DDL's own Steve Duno. Steve will be sharing valuable dog tips on the 7 secrets of the natural dog owner. He will have copies of his book "Be The Dog" available for purchase.

Date & Time: March 12th, 7:30pm
Location: Capitol Hill
Cost: $10 for the seminar. Wine will be provided and dogs are not allowed at the seminar.
Make a reservation now!

February is dental month, so just a reminder, the oral health of your pet is very important. Studies show that clean teeth can add to the longevity of your pet. Brushing your dog’s teeth is best, dental treats (such as C.E.T. chews) are good, and rinses are sometimes beneficial. Small breed dogs typically develop more tartar and periodontal disease (disease of the gums and teeth). Certain diseases such as diabetes can make a dog more prone to periodontal disease. Sore gums and infection can reduce the quality of your dog’s life.

If your dog does not tolerate tooth brushing, has had bad breath or moderate tartar, a non-anesthetic dental treatment by a trained technician may be an option. Your veterinarian should be able to advise you on the health of your dog’s teeth and gums, as well as a proper cleaning regimen. A cleaning regime will depend on the breed and size of the dog, any health issues, the type of food and treats it eats, and the frequency with which tartar is building up on the teeth.

A common question is “what should I use to brush my dog's teeth?” Many different brushes are available; what you should use depends on what is best tolerated by your dog and allows you to reach the back molars. Do not use human toothpastes. Instead use specially formulated products with enzymatic ingredients, as fluoride can be harmful to dogs. Often dogs enjoy the beef or chicken flavors.

Because February is dental month, Urbanvet is offering 10% off all dentals during this month.

C.Morris.D.V.M.
Urbanvet

Drum roll please…

Zooka Nunez!

Start your year off with a poop free yard! Let Pooper Trooper "Doo" the dirty work for you!

Pooper Trooper is offering DDL clients a week of free service when you sign up for monthly services!

We take the ick out of dog ownership by providing weekly pick-up for both residential and commercial properties. Our weekly rates are affordable, beginning at $17 for one dog and $5 for each additional. The waste is collected by rake method, treated, double-bagged and placed in your garbage as per the requirements of WA State Dept. of Ecology. Our Troopers are background-checked by the WA State Patrol and are trained in dog behavior. Our trucks are clearly marked and our Troopers are in uniform. Cross-contamination is avoided between yards because we thoroughly clean our tools and shoes after each job with our unique, patent-pending washdown systems.

Pooper Trooper is locally based and has been serving Seattle and the Eastside for almost 6 years. We are committed to providing reliable and excellent customer service. We are both licensed and insured.

Lastly, we believe in giving back to the animal community and that every animal deserves a loving home. We donate over 5% of our proceeds to animal welfare agencies. With Pooper Trooper, your dog's doo can finally do some good!

Get Poop Free and call 206-229-2379 or go poopertrooper.com, and be sure to mention DDL when signing up.