Penny's Place

Home for the holidays? Someone else would like to be!

🐾🎅🏼Santa Paws Mega Pet™️ Adoption Event🐾🎅🏼 at Grossmont Center La Mesa Inside the Mall is TOMORROW!

Come on down on tomorrow, December 10th from 11am to 3pm and be part of this !
Dozens of Rescues!
Hundreds of Adoptable Pets!

Join Penny's Place tomorrow at Grossmont Center to support 27 rescues and hundreds of adoptable sweeties who'd love a home of their own.

Hello Hello!! We are TWO Days away from 🎅🏼🐾Santa Paws Mega Pet™️ Adoption Event🐾🎅🏼 at Grossmont Center La Mesa THIS Saturday, December 10th from 11am to 3pm!
Did you know that 29 Rescue partners will be in attendance with HUNDREDS of Adoptable Cats and Dogs! Come on down and be a part of changing the life of a deserving adoptable pet!

DIG Direct - Home - Unique Gifts for Dog Lovers | #1 Site for Dog Lovers! DIG Direct

🎅🏻🐾Santa Paws Mega Pet™️ Adoption Event🎅🏻🐾 at Center La Mesa on December 10th from 11am to 3pm! Penny's Place will be there, to help you with shopping for the dog lover on your list! Sales on Saturday benefit San Diego Animal Support Foundation www.SDShelters.org.

Hope to see you there!

sdshelters.org

Yaaaay! It's HERE - Doggie Street!

Join us today at NTC Park for fur, fun and frolic. 15 rescues are bringing their sweetest, best furbabies to Liberty Station to meet you!

And Penny's Place will be there with show specials and fun stuff - come by and say hi!

If you've adopted a puppy recently . . . .don't give up!

Whatcha doing Saturday? Come join the fur - uh FUN!

Penny's Place will be there, along with 15 rescues and adoption agencies - your new best friend is waiting! Meanwhile, enjoy shopping and strolling with your family in beautiful NTC Park.

SAT. NOVEMBER 19, 2022
9 AM TO 3 PM
NTC PARK, LIBERTY STATION, SAN DIEGO, 92106

FREE ADMISSION • BRING YOUR FRIENDLY DOG • ENJOY MUSIC • YUMMY EATS • VET TIPS • AWESOME PET PRODUCTS & SERVICES • KIDS ART AREA • SPECIAL GUESTS • SPEAKERS • AUCTION PRIZES • CONTESTS • VIP LOUNGE • AND MORE!

Doggie Street is coming! We hope to see you there!

Grounds & Hounds: Doggie Street Festival Shot/Edited by: Scott Simerly Jr.http://simileproductions.com/Music: "Take Me Out" - Golden State

https://www.outsideonline.com/culture/essays-culture/pet-loss-dog-grief/?utm_source=outside&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=onsiteshare

How to Grieve for a Very Good Dog When my yellow Lab died last spring, I was flattened by an overwhelming sadness that’s with me still. And that’s normal, experts say, because losing a pet is often one of the hardest yet least acknowledged traumas we’ll ever face.

Come one, come all and get your HOWL on!

HOWL-A-Ween MEGA Pet Adoption Event!
Parkway Plaza El Cajon
Saturday, Oct. 22 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.!

Penny's Place will be there, along with lots of pets looking to go home for the holidays!

DIG Direct - Home - Unique Gifts for Dog Lovers | #1 Site for Dog Lovers! DIG Direct

It’s going to be a tail waggin’ good time!! Join us at

DogFest San Diego!

September 17, 2022 - 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

at Waterfront Park

I always wondered!

DON’T TOUCH MY STUFF!
RESOURCE GUARDING OR POSSESSIVE AGGRESSION
We all guard our resources, it’s a natural reaction to a threat of something we value being taken away. It’s essential for survival and dogs and other animals would not have survived in the wild if they didn’t guard their resources. We also don’t get to decide what’s valuable and what’s not – different things have different values to different dogs. Food is usually the most common, but toys, furniture, beds, pieces of clothing or even a certain person are all things that may be seen as a valuable resource. The warning of a hard stare, moving away, turning the head away, growling, snarling, snapping or whale eye may quickly escalate into a serious bite in an attempt to protect that valuable possession.
Punishing or forcing a dog to give something up is probably one of the worst things to do. Resource guarding is rooted in the emotion of fear – the fear of that resource being taken away. Punishment further increases that fear, which increases and reinforces the need to protect that resource.
Change the emotion of fear into a positive emotion by swopping or trading something that has a similar or higher value than what the dog has. This is one of the most effective ways to address resource guarding of objects as it works at the root cause of the behaviour by changing the emotional response.
Is resource guarding ever acceptable? – Yes - If dog 1 is eating his food and dog 2 comes over and tries to share, dog 1 may growl or snap at dog 2 and he will hopefully understand the message and go away. Dog 1 has every right to do this; he’s protecting his food, a valuable resource and this is a normal, expected behaviour, but if dog 1 viscously attacks or injures dog 2, this is not acceptable. This example could have been prevented if both dogs were given their own space and time to eat alone without the threat of another dog interfering.
Resource guarding can usually be prevented, addressed and managed by understanding why dogs feel the need to resort to this behaviour and doing whatever we can to prevent it from happening in the first place.

Are you listening?

THE GIFT OF THE GROWL
Why growling should never be punished and also never be ignored
Not all growls are negative. Some growls are play growls, attention seeking growls, pleasure seeking growls or frustration growls. They may all sound a little different and may be unique to the particular dog. This post is not about different types of growls, but about warning or aggressive growls.
When a dog growls, maybe even at us, the natural human response is to feel offended and maybe even angry. Surely dogs need to learn not to growl, growling is bad, growling is unacceptable, growling is a problem and needs to be punished so a dog learns it’s wrong, disrespectful and not to do it again, right?
NO, this couldn’t be further from the truth! A dog that growls has just provided us with a very valuable communication signal. In their way, they have just communicated to us how they feel without resorting to a bite. Dogs use growling in an attempt to avoid having to resort to biting, not to initiate it. They could just as easily have not even bothered to growl and gone straight to a bite.
Growling is a dog's way of saying "please stop," "stay away from me," "go away," “I’m not comfortable with this and I’m feeling threatened”. A dog that growls is trying hard to communicate and punishment suppresses this ability to communicate. Punishment doesn’t change the level of the dog's discomfort; it creates more stress and the dog will feel more threatened.
Growling is not the problem. Growling is the result of and the symptom of a problem. A dog that bites without the warning of a growl is a far more serious problem than a dog that growls but doesn’t bite.
Look for any other early warning signals that may precede a growl. Recognize and take note of what makes your dog feel threatened and create distance between your dog and whatever is triggering them.
Be grateful for the gift of a growl - it provides us with an opportunity to address the cause & prevent the bite.

You tell 'em, pupper.

Credit: Liz Climo

I didn't know this - did you?

WHY SQUIRTING IS HURTING
Using a spray bottle to sq**rt water at a dog to stop an unwanted behaviour is not something I support and I’ve seen many cases where the consequences of this have caused long term problems.
This method of stopping a behaviour is unfortunately still very popular and even some puppy schools and dog trainers believe that it’s an effective, humane way of correcting behaviour. Just because it doesn’t cause physical harm doesn’t make it right. There are emotional consequences. Consequences like creating negative associations, fear, mistrust, a fear of water and / or bottles and more. Behaviour is driven by an underlying emotion, creating more negative emotions certainly doesn’t solve anything.
Consequences like a puppy being continually sprayed for chasing a child that resulted in the puppy associating the child with the punishment. This family had been advised that this was the quickest and easiest way to stop the behaviour. This pup developed a fear and dislike of children that he may never fully get over.
If a dog is sprayed for jumping up at a person, it doesn’t teach the dog what behaviour they should be doing instead. Rewarding a dog for having four paws on the floor instead of jumping up is the logical way to teach this. Yes, it may take more effort and time, but the dog will learn an alternative behaviour and the jumping up will stop.
Teach dogs what to do instead of what not to do. Dogs live in our world and are expected to follow our rules. How can we expect them to behave the way we want them to if we only punish unwanted behaviour and don’t teach them what behaviour we are looking for? Stop focusing on unwanted behaviour and focus on teaching an alternative behaviour – how else will our dogs know what to do?

REACTIVITY MISUNDERSTOOD
Reactive dogs are often misunderstood. A dog that is reacting to a situation is not trying to be difficult, they are having a difficult time coping with that particular situation and are trying their best to make the scary thing go away.
Reactivity is generally triggered by the emotion of fear. The fear of whatever is scaring them, a fear of a valuable possession being taken away or a fear of a strange person or animal coming into their territory. Anxiety, stress, over excitement, over stimulation, feeling overwhelmed, trigger stacking, or a dog that is tired, in pain or even has chronic itching will often feel irritable and may be reactive in certain situations. If their reactivity is successful in making the scary thing go away, it becomes a rewarding behaviour because it’s something that works for them and it makes them feel better.
It’s not easy to be the owner of a reactive dog. One of my dogs is reactive and I know first-hand how dogs like this can leave you feeling embarrassed, ashamed, angry or frustrated. Why do they have to be so difficult, why can’t they just behave normally? Everyone is looking at me, judging me, thinking that I’m a bad owner, have no training skills, can’t control my dog or have a vicious dog that shouldn’t be taken out in public.
As hard as it may be, we need to take the focus off how we as owners feel about their reactivity and focus on how our dogs are feeling and what is causing their reaction. Whatever it is, it’s not something our dogs can overcome on their own and we need to take steps to help them cope. Reactive dogs need compassion, understanding, management, force free, positive reinforcement interventions and decompression – (a return to a normal, more relaxed state after a period of intense stress, psychological pressure, or urgent activity). These techniques take time and patience but are so important in helping our dogs to feel safe and learn more acceptable ways of coping.
I have learnt through many mistakes, to recognise what triggers my reactive dog and take steps to either avoid those situations, provide enough distance, or provide her with an alternative choice where she feels safe and in control of her environment. There will always be unexpected triggers around the next corner that are not within our control, but doing all we can to manage these triggers has immeasurable benefits.

Today is National Cheesecake Day!

Sunday, July 31, is National Mutt Day!

Big Mutts I like big mutts and I cannot lie. As the saying goes, big mutts are the best! July 31st is National Mutt Day. Time to celebrate all the mutts and mixed breeds that make our lives complete. What constitutes a mutt? A mutt is any dog that is a combination of different breeds, rather than one

"Mark" your calendars! 2022's Dog Fest San Diego is coming!

There is nothing like bonding with your pup in the great outdoors. Show that off with our popular outdoor collections: Never Hike Alone, Never Walk Alone, and Never Run Alone.

For a limited time, you'll get a free car magnet of your choice with any apparel item from these collections! Just choose your car magnet and enter GETOUTSIDE at checkout.

Outdoor Collections You'll Love! Click here for an update from Penny's Place - Inspired by Dog!

It is no reflection of your own sexuality or masculinity to neuter or spay your animal. They will be happier for it.

Please stop and think of your babies feet. To test put the back of your hand on the sidewalk for 10 seconds. To hot for you? To hot for your dog.

Cool tips for hot days.

☀️ During the hot days of summer we would like to remind everyone to keep pets as cool and comfortable as possible for those times when we must leave our pets outside.
Just having shade and a bowl of water may not be enough in a severe heat wave. Dogs and cats vary in their sense of taste/temperature, but fresh cool water is, of course, the top choice for all animals.
Here are some quick tips to ensure that your pet stays cool this summer and avoids any possible emergency situations, such as heatstroke.
💧Keep water in the shade and make sure it is fresh every day. Secure the water dish to avoid an accidental spill. If possible, have fresh "on demand" water available.
💧Use a garden hose to wet down your dog or use a cool, very wet towel to wet down your dog or cat. Once animals figure this out, many enjoy this quick water cool down. Caution is advised for very hot or overheated pets - do not use ice cold water or ice. Use cool water.
💧Poolside For animals that love the water, an inexpensive child's pool or poly rubber water trough make excellent "on demand" swimming pools for pets. Caution is advised - make sure that the pets are able to use the pool without risk of drowning.
💧Set up a sprinkler or mister. Observe your pet to see how they react to a sprinkler or running water, though; before assuming everything is fine.

Keep your pets safe and cool! Fans, cool surfaces, frozen treats, kiddie pools, cool washcloth under armpits, and sprinklers can all help pets stay cool on hot days🐶🐱

Beer, pups and music at the Bay - what a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

Look for the "Dog Is Good Pop-Up" banner as you enter the event! Mention this post for $5 off!

www.pennysplacedig.com

Dogs and beer . . . the perfect afternoon. Right?

Then - join Penny's Place this Saturday, June 18 at Waterfront Park from 1:00-6:00 p.m. as we celebrate . . . . . . . .

Barks & Brews Fest!

Come out with your leashed, well-behaved dog and enjoy a day at the bay! We have multiple dog contests including best dressed and most talented! Enjoy a day filled with craft beer tastings, great food, furry friends, live music and the vibrant surroundings of the San Diego Bay.

==> This is event is strictly 21+!