New Van for Wonderdogs!
By Ben Kersen
Finally got the raised roof on my long overdue new van! Check it out!
Until Next Time,
Ben Kersen
Ben Kersen & the Wonderdogs
http://www.wonderdogs.ca
Victoria, BC
Category Archives: This and That
Sprint!! – By Ben Kersen
Sprint!
By Ben Kersen
Take a quick blast – here’s my thoughts on why this can be so great!
Until Next Time,
Ben Kersen
Ben Kersen and the Wonderdogs
http://www.wonderdogs.ca
Victoria, BC
Rats!! By Ben Kersen
Rats!
By Ben Kersen
If you’ve ever had a problem with a rat infestation you know it is awful. Proper storage of food, whether dog or human is one of the biggest keys in resolving and preventing this problem. Watch the clip to hear my take:
Until Next Time,
Ben Kersen
http://www.wonderdogs.ca
Victoria, BC
Get Your Body Moving! – By Ben Kersen
Get Your Body Moving!
By Ben Kersen
It can be tough to find the time in a day to get in a workout at the gym but even if it’s only a 20 minute walk, your body will thank you! How do you find the time to exercise?
Until Next Time,
Ben Kersen
Ben Kersen and the Wonderdogs
Victoria, BC
http://www.wonderdogs.ca
Nothing Like a Cozy Fire – By Ben Kersen
Nothing Like a Cozy Fire
By Ben Kersen
You have to agree that there’s just nothing that can compare to snuggling up beside a crackling wood fire on a cold winter day. Except perhaps, adding a cuddly warm dog to that picture.
We installed our new wood stove a couple of months ago and are relishing in this daily. Here are some of my thought on the topic:
Until Next Time,
Ben Kersen
Ben Kersen & the Wonderdogs
http://www.wonderdogs.ca
Breaking Bad Habits – By Ben Kersen
Breaking Bad Habits
By Ben Kersen
Some ramblings on my thoughts on breaking bad habits and my own struggles with my youtube / movies addiction!! What are your bad habits and what are you doing to work on them?
Until Next Time,
Ben Kersen
Ben Kersen & the Wonderdogs
http://www.wonderdogs.ca
The Discipline of Eating Well! -By Ben Kersen
The Discipline of Eating Well
By Ben Kersen
It can be tough to discipline yourself to eat well. Here are some of my thoughts on the most important aspects of food and the challenges I battle with.
This clip was filmed in “the back 40” at Ben Kersen and the Wonderdog’s Pet Hotel and Training Center on Charlton Road.
Until Next Time,
Ben Kersen
Ben Kersen & the Wonderdogs
Victoria, BC
www.wonderdogs.ca
Safety for Your Dog in Your Home – By Ben Kersen
Safety for Your Dog in Your Home
By Ben Kersen
Training gear (whether it’s a “choke”/check chain, harness or head harness) should only be used for training. It is also important that the equipment is fitted properly so there is less chance of it snagging on something when you turn your back. Dogs can get a training collar that is too long caught on a shrub in the yard or on furniture in the house. If the dog is unsupervised, it may panic, and this can be fatal.
At Ben Kersen and the Wonderdogs we tell all our clients to be careful with feeding and exercising their dogs. Ensure you feed your dog 20 minutes or more after exercising, and NEVER right before. When a dog has a full stomach then starts to exercise, the stomach can ‘flip’ or bloat (also called a stomach torsion) and this can often be a fatal condition.
Chocolate, though yummy for people, is poisonous for dogs. Semi-sweet chocolate in very small quantities can be fatal; milk chocolate isn’t quite as toxic but can still kill a dog if eaten in large quantities.
Ben Kersen and the Wonderdogs Poison Proofing
Dogs are natural-born scavengers, and they will head for the worst things: a spot of antifreeze in a driveway (which is HIGHLY toxic and often fatal), a discarded chicken bone, chocolate, etc. Because scavenging is such a natural instinct, poison proofing is a vital part of your dog’s training.
We offer Poison Proofing at Ben Kersen and the Wonderdogs. There are two different concepts when teaching this:
| 1. teach your dog to take food from your hand only and never to scavenge for food on the ground; or2. if you have to be away or kennel your dog at times, you can teach your dog never to scavenge for food on the ground, but allow it to take food from other people. |
Poison proofing is a service that Ben Kersen and the Wonderdogs provide with consistent results. This consultation can be done in our office or by telephone. Visit our website for more information: www.wonderdogs.ca.
There are also many houseplants and some outdoor plants that are poisonous. Most nurseries have lists of these. Before you bring a puppy home, you will want to make an inventory of plants around the house.
The following is a list of plants that can be toxic or fatal to dogs:
| Aloe Vera Amaryllis Apple (seeds) Apple Leaf Croton Apricot (pit) Asparagus Fern Autumn Crocus Avocado (fruit and pit) Azalea Baby’s Breath Bittersweet Bird of Paradise Branching Ivy Buckey Buddhist Pine Caladium Calla Lily Castor Bean Ceriman Charming Dieffenbachia Cherry (seeds and wilting leaves) Chinese Evergreen Christmas Rose Cineraria Clematis Cordatum Corn Plant Cornstalk Plant Croton Cuban Laurel Cutleaf Philodendron Cycad Cyclamen Daffodil Devil’s Ivy Dieffenbachia Dracaena Palm Dragon Tree |
Dumb Cane Easter Lily (especially in cats!!!!) Elaine Elephant Ears Emerald Feather English Ivy Fiddle-leaf fig Florida Beauty Foxglove Fruit Salad Plant Geranium German Ivy Giant Dumb Cane Glacier Ivy Gold Dieffenbachia Gold Dust Dracaena Golden Pothos Hahn’s Self-Branching Ivy Heartland Philodendron Hurricane Plant Indian Rubber Plant Janet Craig Dracaena Japanese Show Lily (especially cats !!!) Jerusalem Cherry Kalanchoe Lacy Tree Philodendron Lily of the Valley Madagascar Dragon Tree Marble Queen Marijuana Mexican Breadfruit Miniature Croton Mistletoe Morning Glory Mother-in Law’s Tongue Narcissus Needlepoint Ivy Nephytis |
Nightshade Oleander Onion Oriental Lily (especially in cats!!!) Peace Lily Peach (wilting leaves and pits) Pencil Cactus Plumosa Fern Poinsettia (low toxicity) Poison Ivy Poison Oak Pothos Precatory Bean Primrose Red Emerald Red Princess Red-Margined Dracaena Rhododendron Ribbon Plant Saddle Leaf Philodendron Sago Palm Satin Pothos Schefflera Silver Pothos Spotted Dumb Cane String of Pearls Striped Dracaena Sweetheart Ivy Swiss Cheese Plant Taro Vine Tiger Lily (especially cats!!!) Tomato Plant (green fruit, stem and leaves) Tree Philodendron Tropic Snow Dieffenbachia Weeping Fig Yew |
Until Next Time,
Ben Kersen
Ben Kersen and the Wonderdogs
Victoria, BC
http://www.wonderdogs.ca
Your Dog’s Safety Inside a Car – By Ben Kersen
Your Dog’s Safety Inside A Car
By Ben Kersen
If you were involved in a car accident, would your dog be safe? If your dog is free in the car, it could be thrown into a window, out of the car, or otherwise injured.
At Ben Kersen and the Wonderdogs we believe in safety first. The following are options for save travel for your dog:
| 1. Traveling crates: many people crate their dogs in a vehicle. This will be the safest if the crates themselves are thoroughly secured to the body of the vehicle.
2. Seatbelts: there are now a variety of dog seatbelt products that can be used in conjunction with human seatbelts. 3. Dividers: in station wagons and vans, dividers can be secured in a vehicle to create a special place for your dog. In pick-up trucks, your dog(s) may ride in a sturdy, canopy-enclosed box. This option obviously isn’t as safe as the other two options as your dog can still be tossed a good distance in the event of an accident. |
Traveling crates, dog seatbelts, and dividers can be purchased at most pet shops. Of course, these alternatives are only going to work if you use them consistently. If you have two or three dogs, ‘ buckling up ‘ before every drive can be time consuming. You will need to judge the value of the companionship and petting time you and your dog (s) share when they can sit beside you against the need for these vehicle safety measures.
Heat in Cars
If the temperature rises to 20°C outside, a dog left in a car may be at risk. With direct sunlight, the temperature in your car will rise dramatically. Even with all four windows open, a dog can suffer heat stroke very quickly on a hot day. Heat stroke can be fatal. In hot weather, parking in the shade or using sun reflector blankets to cover the front window can help, but they are no guarantee of safety. Always avoid leaving your dog in a hot car for its comfort, as well as its safety.
Car Windows
The “‘Houdini Dog'” syndrome can strike if you leave your car windows open too wide. The rule of thumb is that the window should not be open wider than the dog’s head. If a dog can get its head out the window, then it CAN get the rest of its body out.
Car Doors
Just a reminder: car doors are heavy and can cause serious injury. So when putting “Fido” in the car, hold the door until you are absolutely sure that all dog parts and the entire leash are well inside the car. Also, never slam the car door. Close it slowly holding the handle in case of “doggie door dash”.
Car Manners
When driving, the last thing you need is a hairy projectile ricocheting around the car. Also, never let your dog fire out through the car door as soon as it is opened. Teach him/her to sit and wait until given your “okay” to exit safely (more to come on this topic in an upcoming video blog). Car manners are easily taught with a little time and consistency. This a service that Ben Kersen and the Wonderdogs provide. Visit our website for more information: www.wonderdogs.ca.
Until Next Time,
Ben Kersen
Ben Kersen & the Wonderdogs
Victoria, BC
www.wonderdogs.ca
Safety and Your Dog
Safety and Your Wonderdog (or perhaps not so much of a Wonderdog!):
By Ben Kersen
“Ben, be careful.” “Ben, don’t fall dear.” “Ben, look out for the…” These were the constant reminders during my childhood from Mrs. Kersen, my dear mother. Despite her best intentions, I managed to acquire my share of scraped knees and bumped foreheads.
As doggie parents, we are responsible for our four-legged children’s safety. Speaking of children, could you imagine leaving a young toddler to play near traffic without supervision? If you love your dog, and want to enjoy its company to a ripe old age, I would encourage you to take the same precautions as you would for a baby and more—dogs are MUCH faster!! Since opening my business (Ben Kersen and the Wonderdogs) 30 years ago, I have seen some close calls… don’t let this be you!
All the good nutrition, training, and your loving care can be destroyed instantly by an accident if your dog isn’t safety trained. The next few blog posts (which were taken from my previous newsletter, Ben Kersen and the Wonderdogs News & Tips) will offer general suggestions, but should not be used instead of going for active training with a qualified trainer. For more info on training, visit my website www.wonderdogs.ca.
Until Next Time,
Ben Kersen
Ben Kersen & the Wonderdogs
Victoria, BC
Ben Kersen 