The Misty Pines Dog Park Office will be closed on Friday July 4th in observance of the holiday. The Dog Park Grounds are available for use between the hours of 8 AM and 5 PM but you must be preregistered or have a PREPAID dog park pass.

The MP Website is Cool!

Misty Pines has been selected as DogMark.net's Cool Site of the Day for June 1st and is in the running for the Cool Site of the Month. Be sure to sign up and vote for us as the Cool Site of the Month for June!

P.S. Voting for June takes place in July, so get out there and vote!!!

Kids Dog Training Camp

July Mon. 14th - Wed. 16th, 2008
9 AM - 12 PM
Cost - $99 for first child, $89 for subsequent children in the same family.

Kids Camp is the perfect way for your child to enjoy their pet and learn proper handling skills and dog safety. Help your child have a great relationship with their canine best friend. The kids enjoy games, dog obedience, agility obstacles, trail hikes, and pond time. Kids Camp is available for kids ages 7-13 years of age.

Please Pre-register

New Class at Misty Pines

Weight Pulling 101
Saturday, July 26th, 2008
8 - 9 AM
Cost - $16

Weight-pulling is a dog sport quickly gaining popularity around the globe. Unlike most sports, any dog can compete and judgment is strictly objective; the dog either pulls the weight or it doesn’t! The requirements are simple: the dog pulls a weighted cart (or sled) for a distance of 16 feet within a designated period of time (usually 45-60 seconds).

We will discuss training theory and methods as well as evaluate individual dogs for weight pull candidates. Even is you don’t plan on competing, there are many ways in which a “pull” command comes in handy. Whether you are looking for a weight-pull champion title or simply want your dog to pull you up hills on daily walks, this introductory class is for you. All breeds are welcome from the tiniest Yorkie up to the largest St. Bernard!

Don’t worry; teaching your dog to pull won’t undo any previous obedience training. In fact, quite the opposite; if your dog knows not to pull when given a command, telling them it is okay to pull will solidify their understanding. A strong obedience foundation is important since you are working together with your dog.

All Levels Hands-On Swimming Class

Tuesday, July 8th,2008
Tuesday, July 22nd,2008
5 - 6 PM
Cost - $16

Does your dog need a swimming lesson? Is your dog a good swimmer but wants to have friends to swim with? We offer a Summer Swimming Class! This helpful class will be sure to get your dog in the water at our dog pond in no time. Be sure to bring a water toy, enticing dog treats, a long leash, your bathing suit or old clothes and water shoes. You Will Get Wet! Please pre-register.

Doggie Day Trek with Venture Outdoors

Sunday, July 2th 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM at North Park
10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
$8.00 for Venture Outdoors Member and $18.00 for non-members

You'll cover 5-6 miles of trails throughout local parks, stopping for a snack along the way. Please remember 2 dogs per person on leash but off leash time will be available. Dogs must have current vaccination records, and bring food, water and clean up bags.

Check out Venture Outdoors other great activities http://www.ventureoutdoors.org/

Ticks are blood-sucking parasites responsible for the transmission of several diseases. They may appear as a tiny dark speck or a fat engorged parasite that may have its head burrowed into the animal’s skin. They are commonly found on the animal’s feet, ears, or legs.

The Brown Dog Tick by far is the most common to the domestic dog and this tick is virtually restricted to this host in the United States. The adults commonly attach to the ears and between the toes and the larvae and nymphs are often found in hair along the back. When the individual tick becomes fully engorged, they will drop from the host. All tick life stages may be found behind baseboards, under windows and door moldings, or in furniture. These ticks can be found outdoors in the southern US during any time of the year, but are found outdoors during the warm months in the northern US.

Adult male ticks are flat, about 1/8 inch long and uniformly re-brown with tiny pits scattered over the back. They do not enlarge upon feeding as do females. Before feeding, adult female ticks resemble the males. As they feed, they will become engorged and can swell to the size of a small grape.

Egg-laying begins about three days after the engorged female drops from the dog. She can deposit as many as 5,000 eggs in cracks and crevices around the house. The eggs will usually hatch in three weeks, but can take several months in cool or dry conditions. Adults can live up to 1 ½ years, without feeding, but must feed before mating.

A home can become heavily infested if the dog picks up a tick from an infested residence, during which time some ticks may drop off. The yard and home may become infested even though a dog is not generally kept there. Dogs do not become infested with brown dog ticks by direct contact with other dogs. Ticks feeding on a dog drop off and molt before they will resume host-seeking behavior and attach to another dog.

So how do you remove one of these nasty guys? Here’s how:
• Grasp the exposed section of its body near the dog’s skin with tweezers and pull with steady pressure.
• Avoid pulling a tick off with your bare fingers. If the tick is carrying a disease, it could be fatal to you.
• Wrap the tick in several tissues and flush down the toilet or put it in a small bottle of rubbing alcohol.
• DO NOT put the tick in water, they do not drown.
• DO NOT crush or burn the tick, it may release infectious bacteria.

An even easier way to remove a tick if by using the tick remover called Ticked Off™. It looks like a small spoon with a small V notch in it. All you have to do is place the wide part of the notch on the skin near the tick. Applying slight pressure downward on the skin, slide the remover forward so the small part of the notch is framing the tick. Doing this continuous forward sliding motion will detach the tick. Dispose of the tick or save for testing. Using this tool eliminated all contact with the tick. These are available in our retail store or on our website www.mistypinesdogpark.com for $5.99.

Icelandic Sheepdog Breed Standard
Herding Spitz

Brief historical summary:
The Icelandic Sheepdog is Iceland’s only native dog. It was brought to Iceland with the first Viking settlers (AD 874 - 930). The Icelandic Sheepdog and its method of working adapted to the local terrain, farming methods and the hard struggle for survival of the Icelandic people over the centuries, making it indispensable in the rounding up of livestock on the farms. The Icelandic Sheepdog’s popularity has increased over the last few decades and, despite the fact the breed is still very small in numbers, it is no longer considered to be in danger of extinction.

General appearance:
The Icelandic Sheepdog is a Nordic herding spitz, slightly under medium sized with prick ears and a curled tail. Seen from the side the dog is rectangular; the length of the body from the point of shoulder to point of buttock is greater than the height at withers. The depth of the chest is equal to the length of the foreleg.

The expression is gentle, intelligent and happy. A confident and lively bearing is typical for this dog. There are two types of coat, long and short, both thick and extremely weatherproof. There is a marked difference in appearance between the sexes.

Behaviour and temperament:
The Icelandic Sheepdog is a hardy and agile herding dog which barks, making it extremely useful for herding or driving livestock in the pastures, in the mountains or finding lost sheep. The Icelandic Sheepdog is by nature very alert and will always give visitors an enthusiastic welcome without being aggressive. Hunting instincts are not strong. The Icelandic Sheepdog is cheerful, friendly, inquisitive, playful and unafraid.

Head
Strongly built with close fitting skin. Skull slightly longer than muzzle. Triangular when seen from above or the side.

Body:
Rectangular and strong. The length in correct proportion to height and in harmony with general appearance.
Back: Level, muscular and strong.
Loins: Broad and muscular.
Croup: Moderately short and wide, slightly sloping and well muscled.
Chest: Long, deep and well sprung.
Belly: Only a slight tuck up.

Tail
High set, curled over and touching the back

Coat
Double coat, thick and extremely weatherproof.

Hair:
There are two variants:
Short haired: The outer coat is of medium length, fairly coarse, with a thick, soft undercoat. The hair is shorter on the face, top of head, ears and front of legs, longer on the neck, chest and back of thighs. The tail is bushy and the hair length is in proportion to the coat.
Long haired: The outer coat is longer than the above, fairly coarse, with a thick, soft undercoat. The hair is shorter on the face, top of head, ears and front of legs, longer behind the ears, on the neck, chest, behind the forelegs and back of thighs. The tail is very bushy and the hair length is in proportion to the coat.

Colour
Several colours are permitted but a single colour should always be predominant.
The predominant colours are:
Various shades of tan, ranging from cream to reddish brown.
Chocolate brown.
Grey.
Black.

White always accompanies the predominant colour. The most common white markings, which are often irregular, are a blaze or a part of the face, collar, chest, socks of varying length and tip of tail. Lighter shading often occurs on the underside of the dog from throat to tip of tail. On tan and grey dogs a black mask, black tips to the outer hairs and even occasional black hairs often occur. Black (tricolour) dogs have a black coat, white markings as mentioned above and traditional markings in any of the various tan colours on the cheeks, over the eyes (eyebrows) and on the legs. Patches of the above colours on a white background (pied) are permitted. White should not be totally predominant.

Once your dog has passed their Therapy Dog International certification, it's time for the fun to begin. These places are always looking for registered therapy dogs to brighten the day of the patients and residents:

Odyssey Health Care
Cliff Mine Rd., Pittsburgh
Contact: Barbara Coulter 1-800-861-8584

Pristine Pines (Sewickley or Wexford)
Contact: Debbie Gordon 724-935-1075 ext. 103

VA Hospitals in Pittsburgh
Activities Director: 412-688-6000 ext. 3682

Country Meadows (South Hills)
Activities Director: 412-257-4566

Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh
Volunteer Coordinator: 412-690-6508

Animal Friends also coordinates a Pet Assisted Therapy program that visits multiple locations. To join their therapy group contact:

Ann Cadman: (412) 847-7031
pettherapy@animal-friends.org

"The golden gift is this: Intimately connected with his own emotions, the dog cannot lie. What he feels, he expresses. What he shows in his body posture is true, without guile, completely and utterly honest. Distanced from our own feelings, bound by our fears, we treasure and are amazed by this quality of complete truth in our dogs."