About CarpenterBee:

Ben Carpenter brings years of experience as a magazine art director, print designer and Web designer to CarpenterBee. Ben works with a team of writers, editors, web specialists, photographers, video producers and printers to provide a wide range of services to CarpenterBee’s customers. Always focused on a crisp, clean, clear presentation, CarpenterBee offers full design and marketing services, both online and in print.

As we learned recently from Susan Giordano, the fantastic trainer at K9U Training and Behavior Modification, when it comes to training behaviors, there’s solid scientific evidence behind training dogs with clickers, treats and positive reinforcement. It’s Susan’s general philosophy that it is more effective to say, “please do this” rather than “don’t do that.” Classical conditioning produces an automatic response through association. Fears that your dog may exhibit are usually classically conditioned responses.  If your dog is afraid of thunderstorms, for example, it is likely because of one or two frightening experiences with thunderstorms. In time, dogs may exhibit fearful behavior as soon as the barometric pressure begins to change, since they can often sense this change before humans do.  Fear of thunderstorms, also know as brontephobia, can be “counter-conditioned,” as can all classically conditioned responses. (Give K9U a cal for help with that!)

The ABC’s of operant conditioning:
Antecedent
Behavior
Consequence.
Ex.: You ask for a behavior, such as “sit,” (antecedent), the dog sits, (behavior),the dog gets a treat (conseque

5.Spring2010Newsletter

New cats-only boarding facility launches in Atlanta

ATLANTA, GA — Everyone wants to enjoy a relaxing, stress-free summer vacation, and pets are no exception! For cats, being able to kick back and have fun means no dogs allowed. Now there’s a new cats-only boarding facility designed to let Atlanta-area kitties enjoy their summer vacations as much as their owners.

Camp Kitty, which will open Wednesday, June 17, is a boarding facility where cats can play or relax in a fun, stress-free environment. Huge enclosures allow guests to jump and stretch and be up high, where they can feel safe and secure and take in the view. Cats can stretch out in custom-built “cabins” that are 3 feet wide, 3 feet deep, and 6 ½ feet high. Several enclosures are equipped with a cat door that can be opened to allow access to two cabins for families with four or more cats.

There are two activity rooms for when it’s time to get out and play. To keep things comfortable and safe, cats from different homes are never mixed. In addition to boarding, Camp Kitty offers a selection of high-quality food and cat necessities, including litter, bedding, toys and other items.

OPEN HOUSE EVENT JUNE 20

The grand opening of Camp Kitty will be celebrated with an open house and Atlanta Animal Rescue Friends (AARF) adoption event from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 20. The public is invited to come take a tour of the facility and meet some highly adoptable cats.

The first 25 attendees will receive goody bags from AARF, and everyone at the event will be entered to win a free 3-night stay for one at Camp Kitty.

ABOUT GWEN SPARLING

Camp Kitty is owned by Gwen Sparling, who grew up a dog lover with little exposure to cats. It wasn’t until she began fostering a homeless cat through AARF that she learned the joys of living with a cat. One cat, Birdie, made such an impact that Gwen and her family-which includes three dogs-decided to make her a permanent part of their family. Birdie (shown with Gwen above) was the inspiration for creating Camp Kitty.

Gwen has since fostered numerous cats and dogs through AARF and for two years served as the group’s Foster Director. She also has volunteered at the Kitty Motel at Lifeline Animal Project. Her animal rescue work continues with Camp Kitty, which will house a cattery where AARF cats and kittens will be available for adoption.

Before opening Camp Kitty, Gwen worked at Wag-a-lot, a doggy daycare and boarding facility, for a year. There she gained valuable knowledge about and experience in the boarding industry.

BOARDING COST AND DETAILS

The cost of boarding at Camp Kitty is:

1 cat = $18 per night
2 cats = $17 per night per cat
3 cats = $16 per night per cat
4 or more cats = $15 per night per cat
Kitty daycare = $12 per day per cat

Open Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m-5 p.m.

All cats older than 6 months must be spayed or neutered and up-to-date on their vaccines. All cats must be vaccinated for FVRCP and rabies. Although FeLV vaccine is not required for boarding , a veterinary statement showing that your cat has tested negative for FeLV is required to ensure all boarders a safe and healthy stay. All cats must be flea free. Camp Kitty does not accept cats that are FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis) positive, or those with ringworm or upper respiratory infection. FIV and FeLV positive cats are accepted, but are not allowed in the activity rooms.

Camp Kitty is located at 3032 North Decatur Road, Scottdale, GA 30079. For more information, call 404-789-8284 or e-mail info@campkitty.com, or visit http://campkitty.com/

KENNESAW, GA – The newly formed Swift-Cantrell Dog Park Association (SCDPA) has selected leadership and set goals for making the city of Kennesaw’s off-leash dog park a great place for Cobb County residents and their furry family members to have fun and learn.

In addition to helping fund the ongoing maintenance and improvement of the dog park, the association plans to launch an education program covering a variety of topics including the importance of spay/neuter in reducing the area’s severe pet overpopulation problem, dog-bite prevention, pet safety and care, the importance of vaccinating pets, and training tips and guidance from the experts.

Members of the association’s leadership committee, selected in April, are: Jennifer Moody, President; Kevin Marcy, Vice President; Suzi Hickman, Secretary; India Powell, Education and Public Relations; Jac Greenlee, Fundraising Director; and Bill Borden, Treasurer.

Several fundraising initiatives are planned to generate the money needed for the upkeep and ongoing improvement of the dog park. For individuals and businesses interested in sponsoring the dog park, contribution levels are:

The Great Dane Group: $50,000+
The Working Dog Group: $5,000 – $49,999
The Herding Dog Group: $1,000 – $4,900
The Toy Dog Group: $500 – $999
The Puppy Group: $0 – $499

Those interested in finding out more about sponsorships can e-mail jnmoody@bellsouth.net or jacgreenlee@bellsouth.net.

For more information and dog park rules, visit http://www.kennesaw-ga.gov/index.aspx?nid=460. A new website dedicated to the Swift-Cantrell Dog Park and its news events will launch soon.

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About the Swift-Cantrell Dog Park —
The Swift-Cantrell Dog Park, located at 3140 Old 41 Hwy (just west of Kennesaw Elementary School), is a1.4 acre off-leash dog park surrounded by a 6-foot-high fence, two run areas (for large and small dogs), a watering station, a dog wash area, and disposable plastic waste bags and receptacle stations. It is open from sunrise to sunset.