Rocky Mountain Lab Rescue September Newsletter 09.08

Well the fall weather has arrived, even if it isn't officially fall for another week or so. The youngin's are back in school - and maybe some of us oldin's (?) are going back for classes as well. Perhaps it's time to get the dog into an obedience class or to do some lessons with a trainer. Many first time dog owners have no idea how to train their dog. There are several ways to go about it. Your local library should have videos and books about basics in training your dog. But if that's not the route you want to take there are several things you need to ask yourself before chosing a trainer or an obedience school.

The first question is what do you and your dog want to get out of the school. It is essential to decide what you want to get out of the classes and it's good to start asking yourself the following questions. (1) Would you and your dog do better in one-on-one lessons, or group classes? Certain dogs may need the extra attention because of their energy level, or maybe aggressive tendancies with other dogs. Maybe you really need the personal attention with a trainer to figure out exactly what to do and how to handle your pup.

(2) What is the aim of attending the dog obedience training? Are you looking to master the basic commands of sit, lay down, heel, shake and maybe roll over? Are you simply trying to socialize your dog? Are you wanting to compete in training skills - agility, tracking, etc.? These are questions you need to decide for yourself and then ask an trainer what they do before signing up for the course.

(3) What type of atmosphere are you looking for? All trainers and obedience courses are different. Some require muzzels, others a special type of collar. Some are associated with 'dog clubs' and hold social activities and competitions, while others are just a place to show up once a week for an hour and go through training steps with your dog. Whatever the case you should make sure it's what you are looking for and that it's something your dog is comfortable with. 

A great resource to find out what will work for you is friends, family and networks. Ask your neighbor how their Husky liked their obedience course, talk to your friends about who/where worked for their crazy Chow. There are message boards on the internet where you can ask the same type of questions. Check out the Rocky Mountain Lab Rescue Yahoo! Group for people that live in Colorado and have adopted an RMLR Lab. You can ask questions and find out what worked for them.

Dog of the Month

Hi my name is George. I'm so happy to be Dog of the Month. It's so exciting. I'm going to meet so many people! I am a supa-mix! I think I might have some heeler in me, but I don't know. I'm friendly and super so that's all that matters to me! About a year ago I was found in Witchita, Kansas just running around. Some great people put me in boarding (so I would be safe and not get hit by a car) and I made so many friends there. I guess my founders were trying to find me a forever home, but couldn't find a rescue group that would take a supa-mix! I'm really thankful that the Rocky Mountain Lab Rescue decided to transport me out here and let me live in Colorado with one awesome foster family! They tell me I'm still looking for a forever friend though. I'm looking for someone or someoneS that will love me and feed me. I like to run, hike, and go on walks. I get a long with anything and everything - from your couch to your cat, I promise I'll love it! I only bark when playing or when I'm excited. I just met a ton of people last Saturday at the SkirtChaser 5K in Denver. It was so much fun! I gave everyone kisses!

For more information about adopting George or another loveable lab from the Rocky Mountain Lab Rescue, please visit our website under Adoptable Dogs.

Finally, after many trying hours, we've managed to get our entire New Adopter's Welcome Packet up in digital format on our website. Visit our website and click on the New Adopters tab for lots of new stuff to help out you and your new dog! There is a list of good dog foods to feed your pup and a formula to figure out just how good (or not good) the food you're feeding your dog is. There is a list of vets in the Colorado area that are willing to give your new RMLR pup a FREE first wellness check-up within the first 10 days of adoption (copy of adoption contract required upon arrival.) There is a page entirely of lab links. Fun links, helpful links, networking links, everything you could ever imagine! There are also links to join our RMLR social networks on Yahoo! Groups, Facebook and MySpace.

The Denver SkirtChaser 5K

This past Saturday, the Rocky Mountain Lab Rescue sent a bunch of volunteers down to Denver to help out with Skirt Sports race series called the SkirtChaser 5K. We had so much fun! We were one of the two official non-profits at the event. SkirtChasers gave each of the volunteers a set of their official gear (skirts and a shirt for the females, and a visor and a shirt of the fellas.) George, our dog of the month, received a ton of exposure and managed to lick everyone there! There was an awesome after-race party with a fashion show, a band, beer and we got to highlight a couple of our success stories (Hershey and Porter) who showed up to the event! Thanks to all the volunteers that helped in any way shape or form for this event! It was truely a big success! Check out our website under Volunteering to see more pictures of the event. 

Volunteering

Thanks to everyone who helped out with the SkirtChaser 5K this weekend. It required a lot of volunteer hours to pull off such a big event. But hopefully we got enough exposure to get a couple new foster homes and maybe some new volunteers!

If this is your first time receiving our newsletter, we're a small group of volunteers that rescue lab and lab mixes from rural and high-kill shelters where they would normally be put to sleep. We take the dogs into foster care (since we're not big enough to have a shelter.) Foster care is possibly one of the greatest gifts we can give these dogs. Most come from stressful and instable prior lifes. Getting them into a stable loving environment is a great way to prepare them for adoption. It's sometimes a very trying commitment - but we always need more foster parents. If you would be interested in being a foster parent, or just need some questions answered, check out our website under Volunteering or EMAIL us with questions.

There are many other ways you can help out at RMLR. We need help with transports, donations, fundraisers, events and recently, a few coordinator positions. We are specifically in need of two people that are willing to roll up their sleeves and dive into a Events/Fundraising Coordinator position or a Volunteer Coordinator position. If you would like more information about either position or have other questions about Volunteering, see our website under Volunteering or EMAIL us.