Roger’s quest for knowledge motivated him to earn his credentials as one of only two Certified Nose Work Instructor (CNWI) in Chicago, and as such he has been offering K9 Nose Work® classes at his training studio, Chicago Dog Nose, to dog owners who want a fun activity to do with their dogs.

K9 Nose Work® is a game that uses the dogs’ natural scenting ability to develop problem solving skills. Dogs learn to find “objects” in various locations, at different heights, indoors, and outdoors. And for the advanced skills-level dog, they learn to do searches on the exterior of autos.  Nose Work is fast becoming the new urban dog sport in Chicago.

What is unique about this sport is that any dog can participate and there is no previous training required. Each dog is worked in solo sessions, with the remaining participants in another room awaiting their turn, which means that a shy dog, fearful dog, or even a “dog-reactive” dog can have fun. And this takes a lot of pressure off a dog owner who can then relax while participating with their dog without worrying about the other dogs in class.

Many owners have reported that their dogs not only thoroughly love coming to the class, but that their dogs return home exhausted from the mental workout! Dogs that were previously shy, fearful, aggressive or even hyper tend to blossom given the chance to build confidence and or find an outlet for their unused energy. In fact many of the thousands of dogs who are relinquished to shelters are given up because of these behavioral issues. This got Roger thinking that since K9 Nose Work® is such a great way of helping to keep dogs in their homes, then why not use this new game to help dogs, who are already in shelters, find new homes?

Roger contacted a few shelter organizations who rounded up some of their steady volunteers and has since begun his new Sniffing For A New Home program instructing shelters how to enrich the lives of their resident dogs using K9 Nose Work®. Most shelter workers can tell you the heartbreak of watching these poor souls, who were once somebody’s pet, become depressed, lethargic or very stressed out and basically give up. But by implementing his Sniffing For A New Home program, there is hope that the dogs will get adopted faster, as their environment becomes more enriching. And of course the new pet parents will be able to continue enriching their dog’s life by becoming K9 Nose Work® participants!   The ultimate goal is helping dogs find homes in some of Chicago’s best neighborhoods.  Roger’s thoughts and questions include:  What good is a home without a dog in it?

Shelter directors and volunteers are encouraged to contact Roger Lautt at 312-617-8000 or through e-mail at Roger@chicagodognose.com for complete details of his Sniffing For A New Home  program. In the meantime check out www.chicagodognose.com for more information, testimonials and great videos of dogs having fun!

© Fran Berry, CPDT-KA, 2011

Alderman Colon and the supporters have a goal of making this the best of all of Chicago’s Dog Parks. Why not join? As someone that has personally visited all of Chicago’s Dog Parks, I am excited to be a part of creating the Logan Square Dog Park. For more information join the Yahoo Group or email Chris Hewitt at logansquaredogpark@gmail.com;

Attached are 2 videos, 1 of the Howl-o-ween Parade on Logan Boulevard marching to the site of the new Chicago Dog Park and the 2nd video of the activity at the actual Logan Square Dog Park.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsauMQ9UPbI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOJg1JBRQdw

This facility is one of the cleanest veterinarian offices I have visited.  The staff is very friendly and helpful, they greet my dogs with some love and enthusiasm which is a joy to experience.

A little bag of complementary treats keeps my dogs quite happy.  The vet techs are the best, most caring group of people and Dr. Jewell is great, his care and concern for the animals shines through.

To find out more about Dr. Jewell visit his website, http://www.jewellanimalhospital.com

Opening August 10TH, a show about dogs, people and the games they play

Chicago, IL – What happens when you take 12 formerly homeless dogs that have been adopted by humans who saw the pups’ potential when no one else did? You get twelve saved dogs—a wonderful thing. But what would happen if the humans who adopted those lucky dogs team up with a professional positive reinforcement trainer who teaches them how to train their furry charges to perform fun tricks? You get an entertaining, educational and gamely named show called Life’s Ruff.

Life’s Ruff2011 returns to the Gorilla Tango Theater–the dog-friendliest theater in all of Chicagoland–by popular demand after a two-year hiatus. Since a tough audition process during the cold days of winter, these dog-human teams have been practicing regularly in basements, church auditoriums and parks. They’ve been honing their commands, creating individualized routines, drilling trivia questions, all while dispensing treats for a job well done.

Life’s Ruff is the brainchild of positive reinforcement trainer Chris Dignan. His nonprofit organization, the Dog Saving Network, was created as a fun way to gently educate the public on the benefits of positive reinforcement training to curb the problem homeless dogs in our country face. By providing the basic training dogs need to succeed in their adoptive homes, not only are humans building strong bonds but they are also ensuring their dogs will lead happier, fulfilled lives.

Too often dogs are returned to shelters for behavior problems that can be fixed. The Dog Saving Network and LR2011 is dedicated to teaching as many people as possible how to turn that around. Audiences will learn about the joys of adoption, and the importance of spaying and neutering. But don’t expect any finger wagging. The only wagging will be of the tail variety. LR2011 is the only game in town where dogs and humans play basketball, spin the wheel, “answer” trivia questions and interact with the audience for cool prizes. LR2011 guarantees that each audience member leaves with a big smile, increased dog smarts and a desire to go out and spread the word about adoption and training. All of which will greatly improve chances that more dogs will be saved.

Life’sRuff2011 is hosted by Chris Dignan, who is a marine mammal trainer for the Shedd Aquarium by day.  It’s directed by Anderson Lawfer, actor, writer and game show host in Chicago. He is the creator of The Game Show Show…and Stuff! and Theatre Wars! at Strawdog Theater.  The show is a multimedia extravaganza sure to please all age groups.