Dogs, specifically, are often used to teach troubled or at-risk youth in matters of compassion, responsibility and socialization. Begun at the Los Angeles SPCA, the TLC Program (Teaching Love and Compassion) has achieved success in breaking the cycle of violence and abuse in at-risk children and teens. For every one dog that is purchased at a pet store or from a breeder, seven dogs are “put down”. There’s a rescue organization for just about every type of dog under the sun – even the nascent “doodle” breeds.

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Contrary to popular claims, there is no one product or process that will completely eliminate the smell of skunk spray from your dog’s coat. Keeping a few simple tips in mind, however, should allow you to remove the majority of the skunk scent from your dog, and significantly shorten the amount of time you’ll have to wait for your pet’s musky "cologne" to dissipate. The first thing to do when you find that your dog has been sprayed is to pat some all purpose flour or cornstarch into your dog’s coat. To reduce the risk of causing skin issues while effectively managing skunk odor, bathe your pet in a shampoo that is specifically formulated for de-skunking dogs. Take care not to get the shampoo in your dog’s eyes or mouth, and make sure to rinse all shampoo completely from your dog’s coat and skin.

Beth Stern regularly volunteers and raises money for the North Shore Animal League , and Howard Stern recently featured a lost pit bull on the front page of HowardStern. Animal shelters that were already near maximum capacity before the recession are now bursting at the seams as more and more owners surrender their animals to local shelters because of home foreclosure, evictions, and overall economic hardship. Many people have reservations about adopting a shelter animal , convinced that all animals in shelters have a history of abuse that will lead to behavior problems. Most rescue groups will ask that you make a donation to the rescue group at the time of adoption to help cover the cost of the animal’s spay/neuter, vaccinations and shelter/foster care. Adoption fees help rescue organizations cover basic expenses, rescue more animals, and give some assurance that you’ll be financially able to care for the animal in case of a medical emergency.

Some of the Working, Guardian and Northern Breeds that fall in these groups are the Akita, the Boxer, the Mastiff, the Bermese Mountain Dog, the Great Pyrenees Mountain Dog, the Newfoundland, the Spitz, the Eskimo Dogs (both American and Canadian), the Rottweiler and the St. In this instance, caution is recommended before using a dog of this type as a guard dog. Proper evaluation and training is recommended before assigning a Working or Guardian dog to guard duty. The world recently waited in anticipation for the first introduction to “Bo”, the Portuguese Water Dog that was chosen by the current United States President, Barrack Obama and his family as their first family pet after taking up residence in The White House. When considering any dog of the Working, Guardian or Northern Breed group, research is highly recommended.