Weekly Pupdate 6-2-24

Saturday Sept 7th from 9 am to 4 pm

Mariner Point Park in Joppatowne, MD

For more info or to register for picnic, click on photo or date.

IT’S A FUNDRAISER! To mark 25 years of MAESSR, we’ve launched a t-shirt fundraiser.  You can choose from two t-shirts, a long-sleeve t-shirt, or a crewneck sweatshirt in a variety of colors. All proceeds help MAESSR continue to find homes for Springers in need.

It’s that time of year again – time to submit photos for the 2025 MAESSR calendar! Take new photos and go through the ones you have – you might find some great shots that would be perfect to submit for this year’s calendar. We need seasonal photos and “any time of the year” photos. Show off your adorable MAESSR pup! All photos need to be submitted by June 30, 2024 to be included in this year’s calendar!  Link to webpage to view guidelines.  

Featured Dogs

Check out our senior/special needs dogs!  Our program, SENIORS FOR SENIORS, charges a $75 adoption fee for adopters aged 60 and over who adopt dogs nine years old and older or special needs dogs.  If interested in one of our senior/special needs dogs, contact Candi Lynn here.

Bailey 36 is a 5-year-old female buff cocker spaniel who would love to snuggle up in her very own forever home. She is UTD on her vaccinations and receiving antibiotics for dental work. Bailey is good with adults, unknown with children right now but previously lived with 4 little children. She is good with dogs while on the floor but can be aggressive to dogs while on the couch or if there is food involved. Check out her webpage, then go to adoption application! Please also email Candi Lynn.

Fund$ for Foster$

We can earn money through WOOFTRAX.COM just by walking our dogs – in fact you don’t even need a dog, just a smartphone and some good walking shoes! Download the app for your cell phone and follow the directions. (If Wooftrax doesn’t come up, look for Walk For A Dog.) When asked to pick a shelter/rescue (it may show the one closest to your home, but ask to change) pick VA as the site, scroll to the M’s and select MAESSR. You will then be asked to verify your email address. Keep following directions, and the app will appear on your phone’s screen. When you tap it, enter your dog’s info and start walking. It is a simple process each time you go for a walk. Currently we have 29 active walkers. Spread the word – make your walks count!

Check out CHEWY.COM – Place your first order and chewy.com will proudly donate $20 to MAESSR!  There is a huge selection of pet food (including 5-star dog foods), treats, and supplies delivered straight to your door! They sell over 300 brands of pure pet love, have 24/7 customer service, free shipping on orders over $49, and are cheaper than your local store.  Sign up for automatic shipment of dog food or other supplies right to your door on the schedule you choose.  No more lugging big bags of dog food from your car to the house!

The Marketplace

The MAESSR MARKETPLACE is open 24/7 for purchases. We’ve also got cool toys for man’s best friend and companion. The MAESSR store and website are in transition – thanks so much for your understanding while we make improvements to the store and website.

The 2003 MAESSR cookbook, Recipes From the Heart, now available digitally, features a delightful array of recipes contributed by dedicated volunteers. From savory mains to sweet treats, this collection showcases the culinary talents and diverse tastes of the MAESSR community. Whether you’re seeking comfort food classics or adventurous new flavors, this cookbook is sure to inspire delicious meals for any occasion. This is a downloadable product, not physical media.  Once you check out, you’ll see a download option both on the receipt page an in your email.  This opens a PDF with a link to your files on Dropbox. Your download will include a searchable, indexed PDF version of the book.  This will work on your computer, laptop, tablets, iPads, phones, reMarkables, etc.

SALE! SALE! SALE! on the 2024 MAESSR calendars! This year, we’ve added two extra pages of volunteer photos and a message from Debbie about our 25th anniversary. ONLY WALL CALENDARS ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE and are HALF-PRICE! Click on photo or link above to order.

Training Library

NEW TO THE LIBRARY!  Tender Paws: How Science-Based Parenting Can Transform Our Relationship with Dogs (352 pages) by Wendy Lyons Sunshine. Tender Paws takes a deep dive into the practical benefits of applying therapeutic parenting best practices to dogs in our care. When Wendy Lyons Sunshine got her first puppy—abandoned behind a gas station, struggling with worms and anemia—she was in over her head. As puppy training guides failed to help her with the out-of-control, traumatized bundle of teeth and claws rescue pup, she turned to her work helping world-class child development experts. Could strategies for raising happy, well-adjusted kids transfer to a puppy? As it turns out, yes, they can! From the first try, parenting wisdom transformed Sunshine’s relationship with her challenging little one. Soon enough, Sunshine’s view of her puppy shifted from one of adversity to one of compassion and understanding, and she was able to bring patience and therapeutic concepts to meet her dog’s needs. When Sunshine reached out to experts, they affirmed that science-based principles used with at-risk children align well with best practices of holistic, positive, and progressive dog handling. Exploring parallels between human and canine research, attachment styles, history of trauma, parenting styles, and her own “inner child” proved a mindful path for pet parenting. Far from a standard dog training manual, Tender Paws explicitly applies parenting wisdom and best practices used with special needs kids to a cross-section of scenarios, from recognizing developmental trauma and unmet core needs, to making decisions about appropriate equipment, to responding to difficult behavior, to understanding the parenting style from which we approach our dogs. Sunshine empowers you and your dog by offering: A synthesis of the fields of child development, attachment, trauma, sensory integration, neurobiology, learning, animal behavior, and ethology. – A problem-solving framework that makes dog training decisions clearer and behavior frustrations easier to resolve. – Parenting wisdom to help your dog move beyond trauma and into wellness. Borrowing the principles of parenting for dogs feels obvious to some people: instinctive and ordinary and inevitable. But that’s not true for everyone, especially those of us who had a less than ideal childhood and bear the scars of early harm, loss, trauma, or deprivation. Tender Paws provides an interdisciplinary, comprehensive, evidence-based guide for readers who want to honor the needs of—and improve outcomes for—puppies and dogs they care about. Donated by Cathy Moyer. 

NEWER EDITION! DOGS ARE FROM NEPTUNE (168 pages) by Jean Donaldson.  But people are on another planet! Dogdom’s most influential dog trainer and behaviorist, Jean Donaldson, is back with a newly revised and expanded edition of her popular Dogs Are From Neptune. In 41 essays, Jean highlights the common and frequently wrong-headed notions people have about why dogs behave the way they do, and explains what really motivates your pooch and how to change behavior. Jean’s innovative ideas are delivered via quirky and witty—but always scientifically based—essays that will help create “Aha!” moments for every dog lover on earth. If you loved Jean’s best selling The Culture Clash, you will enjoy learning more about the dogs who inhabit planet Neptune and the people who don’t! Your dog is from Neptune—narrow the gap by learning more about: The truth—and power—of consequences and how you can use them to train your dog. – The best ways to deal with common problem behaviors including resource guarding, separation anxiety and fear. – Why you should be skeptical of anyone whose training techniques and philosophies sound appealing but cannot be backed up with scientific evidence. – Dispelling common myths associated with using food in training, dominance and whether playing tug with your dog really encourages aggression. – While we may be on different planets, learn how the fundamentals of behavior often apply equally to dogs and people. -Why it seems that owners become more attentive trainers when they dress their dogs in costumes!  Donated by Sally Long.

The TRAINING LIBRARY has TWO Wish Lists.  New or used titles can be purchased from the Amazon list; Dogwise has new books and DVDs.  Purchases can be shipped directly to the library.  Pretty quick and easy way to help out MAESSR as well as educate adopters!  

Did You Know?

Pup-ulation Report

Submitted by volunteer Cathy Moyer with thanks to those who contributed submissions/info.