TAIL GATE TIMES: Tail Gate for Dogs Spring Newsletter
APRIL – JUNE 2015
What’s New at Tail Gate?
TAIL GATE EVENTS
Join Tail Gate at these events:
Thursday, July 2nd
and Friday, July 3rd
Patriotic Pup Day
Kick off the Fourth of
July weekend with
festive pictures of
your pup! All dogs
who arrive before
1pm for daycare or
boarding on these
days will partake in a
patriotic photo shoot!
Pictures will be
available at the end of
the dog’s visit to take
home!
CALL US AT:
630.834.3030
Tail Gaters, Gunner and Sully
More time to
pawty with my
friends?
PAWsome!
NEW HOURS: Effective April 11th,
Tail Gate will now be open 7am-7pm,
seven days a week. Take advantage
of our new weekend hours for your
spring cleaning and weekend road
trips! Your pup will thank you!
Important Reminders: Keep your Tail Gater from being benched!
Tail Gater, Serena
STAY CURRENT ON VACCINATIONS: Make sure
to keep up on your vaccinations! Tail Gate
requires all dogs staying with us, either for the
day or overnight, to be up to date on vaccines
for DHLPP, rabies and bordetella.
FLEA AND TICK PREVENTION: As the weather
gets warmer, fleas and ticks will be out in full
force! Make sure to consistently give your pup
flea and tick preventatives.
Don’t mess with the
Ruffaree!
Holiday
Hours
Saturday, May
2nd 11th
and
Monday,
May
Sunday, May 3rd
Pet
Day
Art inPAWrent
the Park
175 S. Prospect Ave.
We
get
to
celebrate
Elmhurst, IL 60126
10:00am-5:00pm
our
Tail Gate pups 365
Saturday, May 16th
days
a year.
Now
it’s
10th Annual
Lilac Mutt
Strut
This 5k race and 1 mile puppy path
time
to
recognize
our
is a large running event during
Lilac Time. It begins
at the corner
amazing
Tail Gate
of Park Avenue and Parkside
PAWrents!
Avenue, Lombard.All
Lace up your
running shoes and bring your best
PAWrents
who
drop
friend!
their dogs off for
daycare or boarding
before 1pm will
receive a celebratory
picture of their pup!
We will also
TShave light
refreshments
between 7:00-9:00am
and 3:30-5:30pm for
our Tail Gate
PAWrents!
TAIL GATE SWIMMING PROGRAM: Our pool will be
moving outdoors this spring! Make sure to keep
your eyes open for information on our new
swimming program. Swimming complements the
Tail Gate experience by providing a whole new level
of physical exercise for your pup!
SICK DOGS: If you notice any coughing,
sneezing, vomiting, running stool or lethargy
keep your pup home and call your vet!
Easter (April 5th): We will be open from 4-7pm for boarding pick-up only. Don’t
worry, our staff will still be here playing with our boarding pups all day!
Memorial Day and 4th of July: We will be open 7am-7pm on these days. Let
your pup come and get tired out before the holiday festivities begin! Your
friends and family will want to know your secret to a happy, well behaved pup!
E-MAIL US AT:
[email protected]
CHECK OUT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/
Tail-Gate-for-Dogs/
VISIT US AT:
830 N. Addison Ave
Elmhurst, IL 60126
TAIL GATE TIMES: Tail Gate for Dogs Spring Newsletter
APRIL – JUNE 2015
SPRING TRAINING: We’re not talking about baseball!
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Join Tail Gate at these
events:
Saturday, May 2nd
and Sunday, May 3rd
Art in the Park
175 S. Prospect Ave.
Elmhurst, IL 60126
10:00am-5:00pm
Saturday, May 16th
10th Annual Lilac
Mutt Strut
This 5k race and 1 mile
puppy path is a large
running event during
Lilac Time. It begins at
the corner of Park
Avenue and Parkside
Avenue, Lombard.
Lace up your running
shoes and bring your
best friend!
Saturday, May 16th
27th Annual Spring
Road Pet Parade
Bring your pets, bikes
and families and join
in the fun as the
Elmhurst community
marches up Spring
Road at 1:00pm. Preparade festivities kick
off at 11:30 at 567
Spring Road.
As the weather gets nice, we all dream about bringing our four-legged family members
EVERYWHERE we go! However, it’s important to set up our pups for success before
venturing out to barbecues and baseball games with them. Don’t miss out on our next
set of classes beginning in April! Classes are six weeks long and are $150 per class. Tail
Gate clients who have a daycare package on file receive $15.00 off on all classes.
PUPPY KINDERGARTEN
Saturday Session: Begins Saturday, April
25th and is every Saturday from 9-10am
FAMILY DOG BASIC OBEDIENCE
Session 1: Begins Tuesday, April 21st and
is every Tuesday from 7-8pm
Session 2: Begins Tuesday, April 21st and
is every Tuesday from 8-9pm
Monica Bedrosian
"I have always
enjoyed having
people trust me
with their pets and
especially helping
people build trusting
relationships with
their animals.”
Tail Gate is very fortunate to have an
amazing, in-house training team led by
Monica Bedrosian. Monica has over 25
Thursday Session: Begins Thursday, April years of experience training dogs and is the
23rd and is every Thursday from 8-9pm
owner of The Fine Canine School. She is a
member of the National Association of Pet
THERAPY DOG
Dog Trainers, has attended numerous
Saturday Session: Begins Saturday, April
animal behavior courses and seminars for
25th and is every Saturday from 10-11am
dogs, earned multiple competitive agility
A.K.C. CANINE GOOD CITIZEN
titles and has been a therapy dog evaluator
for several years with Pet Partners. Monica
CLASS AND CERTIFICATION
Thursday Session: Begins Thursday, April also has 10 years of veterinary technician
experience. Monica is interested in helping
23rd and is every Thursday from 7-8pm
anyone train any type of dog. She
Stay tuned for information on the Canine
specializes in teaching young children how
Clubhouse program this summer. Don’t
to properly care for, train and compete with
forget about the Boarding School program
their pets. To learn more about Monica
while you’re away on longer trips!
and class descriptions please visit
Call us at 630-834-3030 to sign up for any http://finecanine.com/dog-trainer-chicagoof our training programs today!
il.html.
RALLY OBEDIENCEADVANCED CLASS
Tail Gate ReFURRal Program: Enjoy a day on us!
ReFUR a friend for daycare, and
Don’t forget that the
Elmhurst Famers
Market kicks off on
Wednesday, June 3rd!
We will see you there
weekly from 7am-1pm
receive a day for free! Share the joy of
Tail Gate with you friends. After they
purchase their first day of daycare, we’ll
credit your account with a free day on
us! After all, dog friends who Tail Gate
together, stay together!
TAIL GATE TIMES: Tail Gate for Dogs Spring Newsletter
APRIL – JUNE 2015
Is Your Dog Afraid of Thunderstorms?
Monica Bedrosian, The Fine Canine School
April showers bring more than May flowers when you are a pet owner in Illinois. Did you know that storm phobia in canines is one of the top
phobias that animal behaviorists address, and it is one of the more challenging animal behaviors to resolve in dogs? If your dog runs for
cover, drools, trembles, pants, paces or eats drywall during storms, your dog is not alone! Furthermore, this phobia is not common in very
young dogs, it usually surfaces when the dog is older, between 4 and 7 years of age. Fear of thunderstorms has been studied in canines and
at least one study found that it is more prevalent in certain breeds, especially the herding breeds. Of all the breeds examined during one of
these particular storm phobia studies, 90% of the dogs who showed storm phobia were herding breeds. Now behaviorists believe that heavy
coats also contribute to a fear of storms in canines.
The studies conducted on dogs with storm phobia surprised many behaviorists and veterinarians. Even though these storms can be very
loud and booming, the results in the majority of cases demonstrated that the noises and lights were not the primary triggers as vets and
behaviorists traditionally believed. Based on these studies, and the fact that so many dogs will run for the tub (that is grounded), or sit in a
car in the middle of a raging storm happy as a bug in a rug, directed behaviorists to examine other less obvious triggers for the storm phobia,
such as changes in electrical charge and barometric pressure. In this case, many owners who have tried rubbing anti-static sheets all over
their storm phobic pet, especially between their paw pads, reported success in having calmer dogs during storms.
Here are some tips to help your pet feel more comfortable and to help you prepare for the storm season ahead!
1. Create a safe place and be sure your dog has identification. The biggest behavior problem associated with the fear of loud noises in dogs
is destruction and escaping. You need to be sure your dog is wearing identification or has a microchip in the case the dog does escape
outdoors. And ideally, you should make a storm-safe hiding den by placing your dog's crate or bed in a place that is grounded, like the
bathroom during storms. Crate-trained dogs will do better in this instance, and a closed plastic crate would be better than the open wire
crate. You should work on crate training before the storm occurs. This safe place shouldn't be too big, you want to give your dog a cozy
place to feel safe and secure. You can also add some distracting and calming sounds using a radio or a fan in the room. You might also try
using the Thunderhut, which is a soundproof crate on the market.
2. Use anti-static sheets. Rub your dog all over with anti-static sheets several hours before the storm is due in your area. Be sure to
especially rub between the toes and pads of your dog's feet.
3. Use your dog's favorite toy or treats to distract him or her when the storm comes.
Try to get your dog's mind off the storm and triggers that are making them afraid and in the process, giving them something they really like
as a reward! Eating for dogs is anti-anxiety behavior, so any treats they will take during this fearful period are a big bonus to helping them
cope with the fear of storms in the future.
4. Use a Flower Essence such as Rescue Remedy or Rock Rose. Many dog owners have found these two natural remedies to be very
effective with fearful dogs during storms. They add the drops to the dog's water dish in most cases and usually use the drops a few times a
day when they know a storm is approaching.
5. Modify the indoor environment. Turn on the lights, close the curtains, turn on the TV and play music that is specifically designed to
decrease a dog's anxiety such as Through A Dog's Ear. Try to block out the outside storm as much as possible. You can also keep a
pheromone diffuser plugged in the room your dog spends time in at all times. Comfort Zone is one pheromone product you can use. It
mimics the appeasing pheromones secreted by female dogs when nursing that sends a signal of comfort and safety to her puppies
6. Provide company or consider daycare for your dog during thunderstorms. Most dogs will feel more stress and anxiety when their owner
is not available during a time when they are feeling afraid or threatened. It is helpful to be with the dog that has a thunderstorm phobia
during storms simply to try to provide comfort, keep the dog calm and to keep the dog from injuring itself or being destructive. Many pet
owners who work full days with dogs who fear storms schedule daycare hours for their pets on days where thunderstorms are predicted. It
gives them peace of mind that their pet does not have to be alone during a thunderstorm. The social interaction and playtime with other
non-thunderstorm phobia dogs can also help to provide a great model, distractions from the storm, and positive reinforcement for your dog
during an otherwise frightening episode.
7. Seek a consultation with an animal behaviorist to discuss the possibility of beginning a thunderstorm desensitization program. If you
have a severely frightened pet during thunderstorms, you might consider a more intensive behavior modification program that would
include desensitization and counter-conditioning to help your dog feel more confident and less stress during thunderstorms. You can
schedule an evaluation and consultation for your dog at any time with The Fine Canine through Tail Gate in Elmhurst.