What the heck was that noise?

I leaned over my bed to see what that odd, ruffling-fluffing sound was, never having heard it before. It was dark, so after grabbing my cell phone for minor illumination, I peered down at my beloved Border Collie/GSD, who was nestled comfortably in her bed. Low and behold, she had crumpled her blanket between her paws and was kneading it like dough. What most intrigued me was the fact she wasn't ripping it apart like a toy, she was suckling it.

*_* <--- That, friends, was my bewildered face.

I've had three dogs in my life and it wasn't until adopting my dear Leia that I witnessed the behavioural phenomenon of "object-sucking". I wondered if it was related to the same behaviour found in human children, blanket/thumb/finger sucking for comfort related reasons. I wasn't really sure of this, until I saw her doing it again later the next day around the time she takes an afternoon snooze.

What I hadn't seen in the dark was the expression coming out of her adorable face - it was timid and tired looking. Her eyes were almost half closed as if she was falling asleep and her furry expression was one of pure calm. That had to be it, I thought. It had to be a self-comforting mechanism.

She had quite a bit of anxiety when I first took her home and I knew little about her previous life. I was worried this might be a behaviour indicative of stress or some illness, so I took to the web. There wasn't much concrete evidence available to explain the behaviour, but what little information I did find, the consensus seemed to be that dogs do this to help them relax and eventually fall asleep. They also all seem to paw or "kneed" the blanket, as if they once did when suckling from their mother.

Do your dogs do this, too? Let me share what I discovered:

The more gentle your dog is, there is increased likelihood that this habit may develop

Dogs that are extremely loving and sweet-natured, those who seem to be more dependent on their owners companionship/those who show distress when parted from them, are more likely to exhibit this behaviour. This made much sense for my sweet Leia - of all my dogs, she is the most gentle-natured and least temperamental. She was also surrendered, and thus forced to leave the family that reared her before I became her lucky owner.

The habit doesn't go away in adulthood. It will last throughout their life.

Though this habit can begin in puppyhood, there doesn't seem to be any detriment to it continuing in adulthood. However, some owners make the mistake of thinking by removing the object, the habit will cease. This is not the case. Your dog will simply find another object suitable enough for his/her liking and continue on. Removing it may also needlessly cause anxiety in your pet, thus furthering the need for them to replace it (and ultimately, the dependency).

Scent of the object seems to play a role

I noticed Leia had chosen fabrics and blankets that I would use more than her own blankets, which suggests that cuddling with something that smells of her "pack leader" was more comforting than her own scent, but there is only anecdotal information to support this theory. I was concerned that if I washed them, she might not wish to use them anymore or that it would cause her stress, but she seemed to be fine and continued using them after I would launder whatever item was of interest.

Does your dog suck on objects? If so, we wanna hear about it and we'll feature you in our Part II blog!

 

 

If you think your dog is suffering from acute anxiety and they're not self-soothing, check out HomeoPet's Anxiety and Separation Relief Solution.

Last month, I chatted quite a bit about the Red Ear Slider as a great alternative pet. They live a long time, they're relatively self-sufficient and they're absolutely breath-taking! Like conventional pets, turtles can also be found outside of pet stores. So, when you are looking for a turtle for the family, have you considered a rescue? We all think of animal rescues dealing with just the furry pets, but there are animal rescues set up all over the place for all types of animals.

One website I'd reccomend for finding rescues all over North America is redearslider.com
They have great information about this particular species of turtle in general, but also an entire page dedicated to different organizations that will take them in.

If you're on the other end of the spectrum, and need to surrender your turtle, a rescue again is a great alternative. Yes, you could release your turtle into the wild, but please consider the following before doing so:

Is your pet "alien" to the area (that is, not a native species)? What kind of survival can be expected for them? In Southern Ontario, we get winter and obviously, most of our aquarium pets can't stand up to the cold temperatures that we have.

Also, you should ask if your pet is an "invasive" species, like the Red Ear Slider. If so, how might their release affect your local eco-system? For example, the Red Ear Slider is an adaptable species, bu because of it's adaptability, it has taken over many of our lakes and gone-so-far as to endanger our local Painted Turtle population.

Whether you're looking for a furry or non-furry addition to your family, or needing to surrender your pet, a rescues is always a good idea. While many of them are over-run, it only makes more sense to adopt from them. Every pet deserves a second chance at a forever home, so why not give your local humane society or turtle rescue a try!

 

 

 

I wanted to take some time to highlight a really new & exciting program we're launching soon, both in our retail stores and online at renspets.com.

Our #1 goal at Ren's is to provide our customers with the best service possible - it's why we make sure our staff are the most knowledgable in the industry and why we still provide carry-out service at all of our stores. However, early this year we realized something important was missing - a loyalty program meant to reward our customers for shopping with us.

That being said, we're extremely proud to announce Ren's Rewards, launching this month!

Shop, Earn & Save with Ren's Rewards by earning points on all your purchases, including food! We've also incorporated our Frequent Buyer program into Ren's Rewards so you can still enjoy a free bag of food with every 10 or 12 purchased (varies by brand). Existing customers on our Frequent Buyer program with a valid email address will be automatically signed up when the program launches and all of your existing purchase counts will carry over.

We're also making it easier than ever to check your Frequent Buyer status and points balance from anywhere with an internet connection. Simply login to your account at renspets.com to see all your past purchases, Frequent Buyer counts and points balance.

Can't do the drive out to one of our stores?

No problem! We're introducing a new Quick Reorder function on renspets.com where you can quickly and easily place an order for any past products you've purchased in-store or online and have it shipped out to you at no charge (some exceptions do apply*).

Stay tuned for more information as we roll out this program to all of our stores over the coming weeks!

Free shipping information: Valid on orders over $60. Excludes remote areas and oversize products. See our shipping & returns page for more information.

Hear that, residents of Waterdown, Hamilton and, dare we say, Niagara region? Ren's Pets heeded your suggestions for the location of a new store and, voila - here we are!

We opened our Waterdown depot (har har) on September 7th, 2012 at 100 Dundas Road East in the Walmart plaza, just a hop, skip and a jump away from Clappisons Corners.

"We're so excited to open this new location," says our V.P of Sales and Operations, Scott Arsenault. "Ren's has grown exponentially in the last few years, and we're taking it to the next level. We listened to our customers and chose scenic Waterdown for our next store".

Both long-term and new customers of Ren's knows that we offer something special that sets us apart from our biggest competitors - We're 100% homegrown. We've sprouted from humble beginnings as a feed mill in Oakville, opening in 1974, to Canada's largest independent pet retailer. With the addition of Waterdown, our company has grown to well over 100 employees, 4 stores, an impressive head office in Guelph and a truly phenomenal ecommerce business that spans the Atlantic to the Pacific. It's something owner Colin Job dreamed of. "Everyone has a legacy", says Colin, son of founders Ren and Sharon. "I'm proud to continue what my father started in 1974. My goal is to continue that legacy by offering the best prices and best selection, guaranteed".

The new location is a bit different than the other 3 stores, as it's found in a plaza building. But customers can expect exactly what they're used to - 6,500 square foot facility with every type of food, toy and treat imaginable, as well as our usual display of groomer and breeder necessities.

"It's funny," continues Colin, "the bigger we get, the smaller we act. Carry-outs and other old-fashioned perks add a touch of class to the experience our customers have when they shop with us".

So, come check our new location out! We'll greet you with a smile, give your pet a treat (should you bring them) and shower you with the upper class service you deserve. But really, did you expect anything else? Of course not, you know us & we know you!

We're Ren's - no one can copy our culture.

 

Stay tuned - we'll have details for our Grand Opening in the coming weeks!

All the Ren's stores, including our head office, are a hop-skip & a jump from Toronto, so we were definitely excited to get word of all the celebrities heading into T.O for the International Film Festival.

For a little fun, we want to share our top 5 famous dogs. Sound off below if you agree or disagree with our list!

 

1. Ryan Reynolds & Baxter

We stand on guard for thee, and that means supporting Canadians no matter where they are in the world, which helps us justify pick our first person on the list. Vancouver native Ryan Reynolds is frequently seen walking his Collie/Golden mix Baxter. Reynolds went the adoption way, and found Baxter at a shelter. "I whispered to him, 'Hey, let's get the hell out of here.' And he jumped up, like he spoke English fluently. He came with me, he jumped in the car, and we've been best buddies ever since."
Awww, cute, Canadian and a dog lover? What's not to like about this guy?

 

2. Queen Elizabeth II & her Corgi's/Dorgi's

Keeping the Canadian thing going, it's time we tip our hats to the Commonwealth. The Queen is famous for her Corgi's & Dorgis, Willow, Holly, Candy and Vulcan. These illustrious (and undoubtably, very well treated animals) travel with Her Majesty to each of her residences. Sadly, one of Her Majesty's corgi's passed away two weeks ago and we can only sympathize with the loss of such a beloved friend.

3. Wolverine Hugh Jackman & Dali

We might be committing a cardinal sin by purposefully confusing wolverines and actual wolves (we know, we know, wolverines aren't even canines), but this one was too cute to pass up. Hugh Jackman seems to go everywhere with his almost 2 year old French Bulldog Dali. What's with the unique name, you might ask? Jackman's son, Oscar, has a favourite artist, who happens to be Salvador Dali. The family thought the dog had a striking resemblance to the artist because of the way his mouth curls (the moustache). Quite the cultured inspiration, yes?

 

4. Anne Hathaway & Esmerelda

Anne may have just played a feline superhero in A Dark Knight Rises, but she's definitely a friend to canines offscreen. She and her beautiful chocolate lab are often photographed taking walks together. Little information exists about where the actress got Essie, but we do know that Anne just loves her to pieces, so-much-so that she included her dog in her engagement party last fall.

 

5. Jenna Mourey with Kermit & Marbles)

Okay we admit. Jenna isn't a Hollywood star, but she's a huge YouTube star and as far as we're concerned, that counts in our book. Her adorable Mr. Marbles (Chihuahua) and Kermit (Italian Greyhound) co-host almost every single show that Jenna produces each week. They can often be found roaming around behind or beside her, sleeping comfortably in her shirt or dancing (no, seriously). Kermit has multiple nicknames like "Kermie-Worm", "Silver Unicorn" & "Warhorse".

 

Want to treat your pet like a famous celebrity? Go ahead, spoil them a bit with a Bowser Bed and a bag of pig ear treats - we won't tell.

 

Basic training for puppies can be overwhelming, and here at Ren's Pets we see a lot of new fur-parents in those early stages.

Puppies have a care-free, enthusiastic way of doing everything, but before long that becomes a problem. Your favourite boots are chewed, they're chasing anything that moves, and just plain ol' getting into any kind of trouble they can. So let's think...what do puppies need to know, and what do you need to do to get them there?

Rule#1 is to never let your puppy do anything you wouldn't let a grown up dog do. In other words, don't let them get away with stuff just because they are a puppy. Sure, it's cute n' adorable now, but just wait until it gets older, stronger, and more confident! You don't want to be mean to the little dude, but they do need boundaries.

For example, your puppy might run up to you when you get home and jump up giving you the happiest goofy grin with his entire body wagging at you. He's recognizing you and is happy to see you which is great! But, do you really want him jumping up on you? Sure it's cute now but what happens when he's double or triple his size? What if you ever want to have visitors over ever again? Will they appreciate it?

Best thing to do is if you don't want the puppy to jump up when it's older, don't let it jump up now. These things are easier to stop now than fix later! Make sure the little tike has lots of OTHER things to do and things to chew on that are ok rather than for him to go looking for trouble. If they do start gettin' into mischief make sure you make it clear that whatever it is is NOT what puppies should do, and provide alternatives. You also have to make sure that they can't find trouble when you can't watch them. Better to prevent their devil horns from growing rather than leaving them to their own devices! Also, don't be afraid to start em' young. Most puppies learn very quickly right when you bring them home.

Why wait to start basic training until puppy classes start? You can make your life easier and start them on the road to being a good dog citizen right from the get go with basic commands like "sit|, "lay down", "don't touch that", "come over here", walking on a leash without pulling, and "stay". Remember they have about 5 seconds of attention span, so only do a couple repetitions at a time, but practice a bunch of times through the day in different places around. You'll need lots of treats in your pockets almost all the time to be able to reward those good moments when they happen. Make sure they are small so the puppy doesn't get too full from snacks and spoils their dinner!

It's no easy feat to turn a squirmy fuzzy ball of cute into an ideal family member, so better off to start with good basics and not let problems get out of hand.

Grab your backpacks, your pencils and your dog bowl - it's back to school time already! This time of year has a lot of, hmmm, finances put into it, so let Ren's help you out this month with a chance to win a $100 Gift Card!

From September 4th to September 30th, submit your "school" inspired photos of your pet. Dog, cat, gerbil, hamster, snake - whatever it is, if it's your pet in a back-to-school inspired theme, then we want to see it!

Be creative! A dog at a desk? Hilarious. A cat with glasses reading a book? Gut-wrenching. We encourage you to invite your friends to LIKE us on Facebook since judging will be peer-based as with our previous Summer Photo Contest.

A contest specific album will be created and LIKES will only be counted on the photos within the contest album. Once transfered, your photo will be found in this album where everyone else can leave a like to vote for their favourite. The photo with the most likes wins!

Good luck to everyone! Check back here on or before October 5th to see the winner!

CONTEST RULES

Enter a photo for a chance to win a $100 Gift Card usable in-store or online at renspets.com
Contest runs September 4th to September 30th, 2012.
Submissions will only be accepted online.
Photos entered into the contest may or may not be used in Ren's print and/or web materials. Indicate on your submission if you do not grant permissions for Ren's to use your photo.
Upload photo to our Facebook wall or email kris@renspets.com with your entry.
Please allow 24-48 business hours to see your photo transfered into the Contest Album. Sorry, Canadian entrants only.
No retail stores will accept submissions.
Limit 1 photo per contestant, please.
Like Votes will only be counted within the Official Photo Album.
Winner will be notified via phone or e-mail on or before October 5th, 2012.
The winner will be required to answer a Skill Testing Question.

One of the most fantastic feelings I find as a dog enthusiast is to sit back and watch a dog do the job it was intended to do.

I think it is a marvel to watch an animal think through the process and commit to the task in front of him/her and perform almost effortlessly. It never ceases to amaze me, and, largely in part by working with Ren's, I am fortunate enough to be around many different types of dogs to appreciate what they do.

For example, I have watched a 10 year old Rough Collie walk into a pen, never having seen a sheep in his life time and herd them as if he had been doing it all his life. To him, it just clicked and came naturally. I have also witnessed Wired Fox Terriers in the conformation ring, sparring to showcase their drive and willingness to work.

I also marvel service dogs and watching how they go about their days, performing tasks of being their handlers’ eyes or ears. In fact, over this past weekend, I witnessed a young

Flat Coat Retriever bound into the water to retrieve the bumper that his handler tossed in for him, again effortlessly. Even as a young puppy, he picked up the bumper and proudly brought it back to his handler.

I often think to myself (or share with the closest listening pair of ears) how do they know what to do. Is there forethought? Do they think to themselves, if I do this action, I will get this result but if I go about it a different way that result may change?

Do their processes ever go as planned or are their tasks merely routine? I really do believe that it is one of the most fulfilling and rewarding feelings - to watch a dog fulfill its purpose, even if their role is one of a previous time.

I recommend that people take the time and attend different dog activities and watch the magic fall into place!

How important to you is your pet? Very. Would you say that they are part of your family? Of course. Would you say that they have their own personality? Most would agree. Could you go so far as to say that they encompass the qualities of a divine deity, or that they might bring you fertility, prosperity, or wealth? Not likely.

In ancient Egypt, animals played several roles in Egyptian art, culture, sociology, and religion. Imagine your trusty pup being worshiped for his likeness to Anubis, the dog-like god of embalming and mummification, and having your neighbours leave him offerings in hopes of his guidance into the afterlife. In sense, we do just that – we worship our pets with offerings of food, love, and toys. Maybe not with faith that it might bring healthy crops, wealth, or immortality, but offerings nonetheless.

Animals were revered in ancient Egypt for alike characteristics they believed the gods possessed. For example, Bastet, goddess of pregnancy, childbearing, and protector of the home was portrayed in art and sculpture as a woman with a feline head. Bastet was believed to have a duplicitous personality – both docile and aggressive at times – like a cat. But more on Bastet next month.

Not all gods were represented in animal form, but were believed to be vessels for certain gods. Egypt's most famous example was the Apis Bull, vessel for Ptah, the Creator. One real bull was chosen at a time for worship, and when it passed it was mummified, buried in ceremony, and another bull would be carefully selected to take its place. Observation has taught me that dogs worship the bull as well, but in an interesting way... Bullwrinkles are an unmentionable dehydrated “part” of the bull that dogs may jump through burning rings of fire just to attain. I have yet to calculate why these bull "treats" are so important to the dog species – they smell, they're oily, and the idea of what they are is just bizarre – but dogs absolutely love them. If that's not worship, than I don't know what is...

Egypt's perspective of and relationship with animals evolved beyond worship into something that we might understand today as preservation. Much like the Ontario SPCA and your local Humane Societies are devoted to protecting animals against cruelty, ancient Egyptians could be sentenced to death for causing harm to animal species linked to deities.

Thinking back to whether or not your pets have personalities, how do you think you would describe them? Agile? Protective? Ignoring your pets' physical species, look at the list below and find traits they possess to learn which Egyptian god they are most like. You can even find toys with the likeness of these animal-gods that you might “offer” to your pet in worship.

Anubis – Jackal-god of mummification. Supervisor, guide, monitor, lurker, lingerer.

 

 

 

 

Apis – Bull-god of strength and fertility. Manifestation of Ptah, Creator. Intelligent, stable.

 

 

 

Bastet (or Bast) – Cat-goddess of the home. Docile, but sometimes aggressive, protective, lion-hearted.

 

 

 

Bes – Lion-god of music and warfare. Force of nature, warrior, protector of children.

 

 

 

 

Buto – Cobra-goddess of Lower Egypt. Aggressive defender, glaring, heat of the sun.

 

 

 

 

 

Hathor – Cow-goddess of love and music. Happy, feminine, motherly, intuitive.

 

 

 

 

Ma'at (Mayet) – Ostrich Feather-goddess of order and truth. Authoritative, judgemental, fair.

 

 

 

 

Min – White bull-god of male fertility. Masculine and virile.

 

 

 

 

 

Mut – Vulture mother-goddess. Motherly, independent, dignified.

 

 

 

 

 

Nephthys – Crow-goddess of the sky. Loyal, helpful, guardian.

 

 

 

 

 

Osiris – Phoenix-lord of the afterlife. God of earth and vegetation. Teacher, helper, inventor, kind, persuasive.

 

 

 

 

Sobek (Sebek) – God of crocodiles. Protector from fear, repairer, restorer.

 

 

 

 

 

Selket (Serket) – Scorpion-goddess of magic. Watchful, guardian.

 

 

 

 

 

Seth (Set) – Red donkey-god of chaos. Barren, outcast, fighter.

 

 

 

 

 

Taueret (Taurt) – Hippopotamus-goddess of women and home. Protectress of pregnant women. Helpful, feminine, calm.

 

 

Until next time,

Camping is one of my favourite summer activities and having a dog along always makes it even better! My family and I planned for a 3-day canoe trip and we thought we planned every detail perfectly. We had the canoes, the tents, the food, the stoves, the matches… and with my sister, the paramedic, we had a fully-stocked first aid kit.

My cousin decided to bring his dog Ellah along with him. None of us were concerned about her in the canoe because she is very well trained, however, we did not expect or prepare for what happened once we go to our first camp site. After a full day of canoeing and portaging, we decided to set up camp at the first site after the biggest portage.

We were exhausted from canoeing and carrying everything from the days trek. Ellah, however, was sitting in the canoe for most of the day, so she was full of energy and excited to explore once we got to our camp site. So, while we set up camp, made dinner and relaxed a bit, Ellah went off for an adventure.

When she came back, she laid down to rest. A little while later, we noted she was being extra quiet and that's when someone noticed her leg was cut. She must have wounded it on one of the sharp rocks.

Paramedic to the rescue!

Stef ran to get her first aid kit and bandaged her up to the best of her abilities with the supplies she had. The cut was deep and we were concerned, but being in the middle of nowhere with night about to fall, we had no choice but to head to bed.

In the morning, my cousin woke before the rest of us and had already decided to head back and take Ellah to a vet. Elleh didn't want to leave her bandages on and not having the proper supplies didn't help.

She did need staples because the cut was so deep, but the wound didn't have a chance to dry out because of Stef's wrap up. So, the good news was that the vet had an easier time stitching it up.

What a crazy unexpected change to the trip! Next time, we will be prepared for any dog-injuries, too! Self-adhering bandages are a must with active dogs; you need something that won't stick to the fur or skin, but will stay on with out clips or excessive tape. A great product for minor cuts and scrapes is Espree Natural Bandage, since it aids in quick recovery and it has a bitter taste that discourages pets from licking the wound open.