ter called him “My little teddy bear,” because he was so like one. A sweet Golden who came to...
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Gateway Golden Retriever Rescue P.O. Box 31700 St. Louis, MO 63131 Phone: (314) 995-5477 www.ggrr.com August Meeting Minutes The meeting was called to order at 7:45.m. by President, Mike S. Julie G. moved to dispense with the read- ing of the minutes from the previous meeting. The motion was seconded by Tim M. and passed. There were no corrections to the minutes. President’s Report Mike reported that we still need peo- ple to do home visits and to be foster homes. If you are interested, please let Mike know. Treasurer’s Report Lynn S. gave her report on all ac- counts at the meeting but it was not recorded at that time. Membership/Volunteer Report Tim M. reported that we had 5 mem- bership/volunteer inquiries and no new members. There were no visi- tors at the meeting. Intake Report Michelle F. reported that we had no new dogs at this time. Adoption Report Chris R. and Penny M. reported that there were no dogs placed in their forever homes in the last month. Website Report No report was given. Meeting Minutes 1 Events & Old & New Business 2 Rainbow Bridge 3 Safety Essentials for Dog Walkers 4 Donations in Memory of Pat Moran 5 Can Your Dog Read Your Mind? 6-7 Inside this issue: October 2015 Newsletter GGRR Newsletter O c t o b e r 2 0 1 5 V o l u m e 13 I s s u e 10 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Want to help out by do- ing a Dog Visit or Home Visit in 2015? Want to Foster a Golden in your home? Contact our President, Mike S. to find out how you can help! Happy Halloween!
Transcript of ter called him “My little teddy bear,” because he was so like one. A sweet Golden who came to...
Gateway Golden
Retriever Rescue
P.O. Box 31700
St. Louis, MO 63131
Phone: (314) 995-5477
www.ggrr.com
August Meeting Minutes
The meeting was called to order at
7:45.m. by President, Mike S. Julie
G. moved to dispense with the read-
ing of the minutes from the previous
meeting. The motion was seconded
by Tim M. and passed. There were
no corrections to the minutes.
President’s Report
Mike reported that we still need peo-
ple to do home visits and to be foster
homes. If you are interested, please
let Mike know.
Treasurer’s Report
Lynn S. gave her report on all ac-
counts at the meeting but it was not
recorded at that time.
Membership/Volunteer
Report
Tim M. reported that we had 5 mem-
bership/volunteer inquiries and no
new members. There were no visi-
tors at the meeting.
Intake Report
Michelle F. reported that we had no
new dogs at this time.
Adoption Report
Chris R. and Penny M. reported
that there were no dogs placed in
their forever homes in the last
month.
Website Report
No report was given.
Meeting Minutes 1
Events & Old & New Business
2
Rainbow Bridge 3
Safety Essentials for
Dog Walkers
4
Donations in Memory
of Pat Moran
5
Can Your Dog Read
Your Mind?
6-7
Inside this issue:
October 2015 Newsletter
GGRR Newsletter
O c t o b e r 2 0 1 5 V o l u m e 13 I s s u e 10
VOLUNTEERS
NEEDED Want to help out by do-
ing a Dog Visit or Home
Visit in 2015?
Want to Foster
a Golden in your home?
Contact our President,
Mike S.
to find out how
you can help!
Happy Halloween!
Upcoming Events Next GGRR Meeting
Thursday, October 8th at 7:30 p.m., at
the Dog Museum in Queeny Park.
Greentree Festival
The Greentree Festival was held the
weekend of September 18th. A big
thank you to all GGRR volunteers that
came out with their dogs and spent
some time at our booth. A big thank
you to Julie G. for being there the en-
tire weekend. The crowds love to see
our Goldens and we get the oppor-
tunity to explain what we do for Gold-
ens to the
public. I
know the
dogs enjoyed
the attention
too!
GGRR Events
Page 2 GGRR Newsletter
Old & New Business
Old Business
There was no old business to be discussed.
New Business
We received a $25.00 donation check from Robert Fried-
man from Joan Grodsky. Another $50.00 donation was also made in memory of Pat Mo-
ran from John Cherry and Deborah Bos-
ton.
A motion was made by Tim M. and se-
conded by Lynn S. to adjourn the meeting.
All were in favor. The meeting was ad-
journed at 8:00 p.m.
I called him “My little teddy bear,” because he was so like one. A sweet Golden who came to GGRR at age 6, Taylor didn’t ever seem to have a bad time, anywhere. He was quite agreeable with the world, a wonderful companion, getting along with anyone, canine or human. He loved to wrestle with my Goldens. He loved to be petted and hang out with me, and he ADORED going for walks, or rides in the car. Taylor was very biddable and learned very quickly. He was ready for adoption when one morning I found him totally lethargic, unable to move. Later it was determined that he had inoperable Lymphoma Sarcoma. My boyfriend Jim and I became very attached to this Golden babe. He is SO very missed!
TAYLOR
01/09/2009-09/16/2015
by his foster mother for 2 –1/2 months, Pamela Wollenberg
Rainbow Bridge
Page 3 GGRR Newsletter
Trick Or Treat!
A few ideas for your Golden
By Josh Weiss-Roessler
As a conscientious dog own-
er, you work hard to fit their
daily walks into your sched-
ule. It doesn’t matter if you
have to get up early in the
morning or do it after the
sun has gone down, be-
cause it’s about what’s best
for your dogs. And since you
care about your environ-
ment, you always remember
to bring doggy poop bags with you.
This attitude is to be applauded, but while you’re
keeping health and cleanliness in mind, don’t for-
get about safety! And where does safety start?
A reliable leash and dog collar—You want to
ensure the leash and collar are appropriate for
the size and strength of your dog. The last thing
you want is for him to break free and try to run
across a busy street or go after another dog or a
person because the leash snapped or the collar
slid off. Check the state of your dog’s collar and
leash regularly, inspecting them for any damage
or rust on the hardware (D-ring and leash clasp),
or rips in the fabric. Replace them at the first hint
of possible failure. Also avoid using variable
length leads, and check your local laws. In some
jurisdictions, there is a maximum allowed length
of leash. For example, city law in Los Angeles
limits leash length to six feet.
Reflective clothing—If you walk your dog in
darkness or inclement weather, you owe it to
yourself and your pup to stand out to drivers.
One of the best ways to do this is by wearing
a reflective running vest, and you may want to
invest in reflective dog clothing as well.
Safety Essentials for Dog Walkers www.ceasarsway.com
Page 4 GGRR Newsletter
LED lights—Not into dressing your
dog in reflective clothing? Try some-
thing with an LED light. For humans,
there are wearable bike and running
safety lights. For dogs, we recom-
mend the Bright Light Leash & Col-
lar, because it provides an LED light
to make your dog visible and posi-
tions it where it can easily be seen.
Even better for you, the light is solar
powered and USB chargeable!
Comfortable walking shoes—
When our feet hurt, so does the rest of our body.
So take care of yours by ensuring the shoes that
you’re wearing on your dog walks are the correct
size and fit -- and that they are proper walking
shoes, not sandals or heels. Also make sure that
they have no-skid soles or the right kind of tread to
reduce the chance of slipping and falling, or of your
dog suddenly pulling you off of your feet.
Of course, dog-walking safety isn’t just about
gadgets. Changing up your route will confuse any-
one trying to keep tabs on you, telling someone
where you’re going will alert them to help if you
don’t come back, and walking with others can help
deter predators.
Donations in Memory of Pat Moran
Page 5 GGRR Newsletter
It is a sad time
for rescue. We
have lost very
dear friend. Pat
Moran was a
very special
friend to all us.
More importantly
she was a best
friend to all the
dogs she met. We will miss that smile, wit,
charm. She was our Cheerleader. Her dedica-
tion to helping the dogs we rescued was truly
amazing. While Pat has left us, she has in-
spired us to be more like her. If can then the
world will be a better place.
I believe that Pat is at the bridge hugging all her
friends who got there before her and is waiting
patiently with that big smile for all her other
friends to meet her there.
Now I would like to thank her friends who have
made a donation to Gateway Golden Retriever
Rescue in her Honor and they are:
Tom and Mary Moran
Barbara Fox Enger
Ann Donnelly
Kitty McReynolds
Mary Diane Cum-
mings
Margaret, Daniel,
Johnathan Rechtien
Dan and Jackie
Schaefer
Pamela Wollenberg
Kay Callison
Delores Trudzinski
Annette Umidon
Renee and Greg Barnes
Beth and Jay Fischer
Susan Donnelly
Helena Servis
Paddy Wrob
George Vits
Norbert, Linda and Wendy Kniepp
Cory Kniepp
Mary Mann
Eric Walley
The Moran family and
GGRR thanks you for
your generous dona-
tions in memory of Pat
Moran.
Mike Stemmler
President GGRR
Can Your Dog Read Your Mind?
Page 6 GGRR Newsletter
By Jon Bastian
Has this ever happened to you? It’s time to take the dog somewhere she doesn’t like to go, like the vet or groomer; or you’ve decided it’s bath time — but when you look for the dog, she’s nowhere to be found. You haven’t even said the words “vet” or “bath,” and yet your dog somehow seems to know some-thing unpleasant is coming and hides from you.
It may seem like psychic ability, and you probably find your-self wondering, “How did the dog know what I was think-ing?” As science is learning, though, the answer is because dogs are a lot more perceptive and tuned into us than we realize.
One of the questions behav-iorists have been studying in animals for years is “Do they have atheory of mind?” What does that mean? As de-scribed by veterinari-an Nicholas Dodman, “Theory of mind implies self-awareness and the ability to understand that other indi-viduals may possess infor-mation and agendas.”
In other words, the question is whether dogs are aware of their own emotional states, and understand that other
living things have their own unique emotional states and awareness.
Humans obviously have this ability — we know what we’re thinking and feeling, and we know that other people have different thoughts and feelings. Now, the evidence is in-creasingly pointing to the likelihood that dogs have theories of mind as well.
For the evidence, we only need to look at some of the abili-ties that our dogs have.
Defined as “the ability to understand and share the feelings of another,” humans clearly have empathy, for each other and animals — this is the entire reason that storytelling
works for us; we can put our-selves in the place of the charac-ters, feeling what they’re feeling as well as feeling for them.
A study published in Biology Let-ters used a novel but valid test to determine whether dogs have empathy: contagious yawning. This is the phenomenon in which one person yawning will cause others in the group to do the same, and its cause was a mys-tery for a long time. It wasn’t until
scientists determined that children with autism do not “catch” yawns from others that they realized it was caused by, and is a sign of, empathy, which is some-thing that many autistic people lack.
Many species exhibit contagious yawning, but only within the species. Dogs and people seem to be the only exceptions. The study noted above found that dogs would start yawning if humans did, and especially if it was their human who yawned.
Score one for “theory of mind.” Dogs can understand that we have feelings.
In another experiment, reported in Behavior, researchers determined that dogs can tell whether or not a human can see something and then respond appropriately.
In the experiment, a human sat at one end of a table, with a dog at the other. There were two barriers between them, one transparent and the other opaque, with two toys placed on the dog’s side, one behind each barrier. When the human called to the dog to “bring it,” the dog would only choose the toy that they knew the human could see, ignoring the other.
But when the human turned their back on the dog and toys or sat on
Can Your Dog Read Your Mind? (continued)
Page 7 GGRR Newsletter
the same side as the dog, then the toy selection was completely random. This means that dogs can understand that our point of view is different than theirs and figure out what we can see — score another point for theory of mind.
Give a dog a choice between a huge bowl of food and a small one and they’ll choose the bigger one every time, right? Apparently not. According to a study published in PLoS ONE, a dog will choose the bowl that a human seems to prefer, regardless of size or what’s in it. They still don’t know why this is the case, but it does show how dogs look to us for leadership. Eating is a primal need, and yet our opinion can influence what a dog eats.
This is also why begging can be such a problem with dogs. They’re not trying to be annoying; they just want in on what we seem to enjoy. They understand that we have infor-mation that they don’t. Three points for theory of mind.
Humans have two kinds of emotions: primary emotions like fear, joy, grief and anger, and secondary emotions including hatred, anxiety, insecurity, and jealousy. Multiple studies have indicated that dogs can feel jealousy.
In one study, researchers had dog owners give affection to a stuffed dog while their own dog was present. The dogs reacted by trying to get between the human and toy, nudg-ing the human, or even snapping at the fake dog. They showed none of these behaviors when the human showed the same affection to a different object, like a book.
Another study at the University of Vienna found that dogs have a sense of fairness. Alone, a dog would “shake” with or without a reward. However, in the presence of another dog, the first dog would stop cooperating if its rival received a reward and they didn’t, or if the other dog got a better re-ward — in this case sausage versus plain brown bread.
Secondary emotions require self-awareness, as well as an understanding of what another animal is experiencing; more support for dogs having a theory of mind.
Or, rather, they get pointing and respond to it, some-thing that even chimpanzees cannot do. For this one, you don’t even need a panel of scientists. Just get your dog’s attention and point at something — he’ll probably look at it. In fact, you don’t even need to point. Just focus your attention on something and your dog will, too.
When you have intention, you have an agenda. Dogs can pick up on this, another important part of having a theory of mind.
1. They can have empathy for us
2. They can understand our point of view
3. They trust our judgment
4. They can feel jealousy... sort of
5. They get the point
Put this all together, and you have the explanation for your dog’s apparent psychic ability. They are con-stantly looking to us for leadership because they trust our judgment, and they are aware of what we are aware of. They can read our intentions through our body language and energy, and respond accordingly. They know that we have information that they don’t, so are always trying to figure us out.
Most importantly, they are acutely aware of the clues we are giving even when we aren’t. It can be as sim-ple as the dog figuring out that when you go on a car trip on the day you don’t leave for work in the morn-ing that it might be a bad thing for her, or as complex as sensing the hidden feelings you always have right before that trip to the vet or the bath.
Dogs continuously pay close attention to us for clues on what they should do. When we start to pay the same attention to them and to our own behavior, then we’re one more step on the way to becoming a suc-cessful dog owner!
To Adopt or Surrender a Dog
Call the GGRR Phone Lines: (314) 995-5477
Gateway Golden
Retriever Rescue
P.O. Box 31700
St. Louis, MO 63131
Phone: (314) 995-5477
www.ggrr.com
Next Meeting
Thursday, October 8th at 7:30 p.m. at
the Dog Museum in Queeny Park.
We love having happy healthy Goldens
at our meetings! Please make sure your
dog is up to date on shots and
vaccinations please!
Mentors
Intake Phone Lines
Mike Stemmler
Adoption Phone Lines
Home Visits & Dog Visits
Shane Stark
Foster Homes
Kathy Dierkes
Coordinators
Intake Coordinator
Michelle Frasca
Adoption Coordinator
Chris Rogers
Membership Coordinator
Tim Miget
Events Coordinator
Julie Goldman
Webmaster
Paul Swarthout
Officers
President
Mike Stemmler
Vice-President
Jim Dilg
Secretary
Shane Stark
Treasurer
Lynn Stark
Membership Representative
Chris Rogers
