Satchmo learns patience with Watson

Watson here and I recently took a road trip to California to meet my new puppy nephew Satchmo. The name Satchmo is Yiddish, and it means satchel mouth. Honestly, Satchmo lived up to his name, because he has a big mouth and I became the official chew toy.

When we first arrived, he barked and acted furious, but after a few minutes, he realized that I was no threat and I am a lot bigger. Golly, puppies have super energy!

I tried to teach him the rules of dog behavior, and I think he understood well because I gave him the old back-off growl.

In dog language, there are four general rules to prevent play from escalating into fighting.

Communicate clearly: When you want to play, you bow by crouching on your front legs while standing on your hind legs. Known as the play bow it indicates that you want to romp. The message is “play with me.”

Mind your manners: Dogs consider their play partners’ abilities and engage in self-handicapping and role reversing to create and maintain equal footing. This rule is easy to see when an adult dog is playing with a puppy or a big dog with a tiny one. The dominant dog will take turns letting the other dog win.

Admit when you are wrong: When play gets out of hand and a dog misbehaves, he apologizes. After an intense bite, a bow sends the message, “Sorry I bit you so hard, I was just playing. Don’t leave; I’ll play fair.” For play to continue, the aggrieved dog must forgive the offender. Usually forgiveness is given; understanding and tolerance are abundant in play.

Be honest: Apologies must be sincere. If an individual continues to play unfairly or sends dishonest signals, the pack will ostracize him. This has grave consequences in the wild, as an individual alone will perish quickly.

I had a good time with Satchmo and thanks to Uncle Watson, he got the rules down quickly.

XOXO Watson

IN NEED OF

Pine shavings, bleach and cleaning supplies for our kennels.

Aluminum cans. If you have cans to pick up, give us a call (775-423-7500) and we will come get them. You can also drop them off at CAPS.

Folks who need help affording spaying/neutering for dogs or cats. The SNAPS program details are below.

SHOUT OUT TO

Rob McKinney for installing our new water system. All tails are wagging for you!

Fallon Pet Connection for matching every CAPS donation they receive through their store. A Four-Paw-Salute to You!

COME SEE US

CAPS is open, by appointment only, for adoptions, SNAPS, and food pantry. We cannot accept volunteers until further notice. Call 775-423-7500.

DON’T FORGET

November Pet Holiday: National Cook for Your Pets Day.

SNAPS is a program offered to Churchill County residents through CAPS that provides low-cost spay/neutering for cats and dogs. To qualify for SNAPS, you need to have one of the following: Medicaid, a child enrolled in NV Check Up Program, food stamps, 2020 tax return stating income is less than $30,000 or Veterans disability card including a photo ID. Also required are a Churchill County ID and a co-pay. For more information, call CAPS at 423-7500.

You can donate directly to CAPS on Facebook by just hitting the donate button. You are our guardian angels, and we thank you for your support!

CONTACT CAPS

CAPS’ mailing address is P.O. Box 5128, Fallon, NV 89407. CAPS’ phone number is 775-423-7500. CAPS’ email address is caps@cccomm.net. Please visit the CAPS website (www.capsnevada.com) and Facebook page (Churchill Animal Protection Society). Be sure to “Like” CAPS on Facebook because we are likeable.

CAPS is open to the public on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Kathleen Williams-Miller is a CAPS volunteer. Contact me at jkwmil@outlook.com.