Posts Tagged ‘Broad Ripple Animal Clinic’

by Dr. Elizabeth Murphy

What could more comforting and satisfying than home made bread or yeast rolls for your holiday dinner? Not many things – except maybe a healthy dog!

Many people don’t know that rising bread dough is a dangerous temptation for dogs. Most forms of bread dough contain yeast – a single-celled fungus that in warm environments causes sugars to turn into carbon dioxide (which causes the dough to rise) and alcohol (which gives flavor to the dough).  This chemical process is great when it happens in a warm kitchen within a pan, but not so great when it happens in a dog’s warm stomach. Read the rest of this entry »

Sometimes we get so caught up in our day-to-day that we forget to value everything that we might take for granted. This week, a very special gift came to our practice in the way of a request from the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Our Director of Pet Behavior Services, Brad Phifer was approached at Bark Tutor by the Make-A-Wish Foundation on behalf of Peyton Medlin and her family. Peyton is a four-year-old little girl with Mitochondrial Disease- Complex 1 and III, with 22q 11.2 Deletion Syndrome. Her wish is to have a dog.

Peyton’s condition has prevented her from a childhood of playing with girlfriends, trips to the park, and everything we take for granted in our lives. To Peyton, having a dog means having a best friend—a companion to keep her company when she’s not feeling well, or someone to play with when she’s having a really good day.

Brad met with Peyton and her family and the first thing he did was determine what kind of dog would be best for Peyton. He used the Canine Colorsmodel to determine the personality types of Peyton’s parents, and then to determine the personality of their family’s ideal dog. After much discussion about Peyton’s needs, as well as the timeliness that was needed for selection, socialization, and training, the Medlin family decided that Peyton’s puppy should be a standard poodle.

As soon as Brad told us Peyton’s story, we knew we could “rally the troops” to make a difference for this little girl. Brad had already approached the owner of Pet Supplies Plus Indy, who agreed to feed Peyton’s new dog for a year. Between Broad Ripple Animal Clinic and Wellness Center and Bark Tutor School for Dogs, we knew we would be able to provide veterinary care for a year, as well as provide the training and socialization. Brad’s plan is to work with Peyton’s family to train the dog to be a Delta certified therapy dog. That way, with Peyton’s doctor’s permission, her dog will be able to accompany Peyton to the hospital for extended stays as her condition worsens. Down the road, Peyton’s parents plan to continue to volunteer at Children’s Hospitals with therapy dog programs, in Peyton’s memory.

Wednesday at our weekly staff meeting, we told the team at Broad Ripple Animal Clinic and Wellness Center and Bark Tutor School for Dogs about Peyton and the cost of purchasing a young standard poodle, with time being of the essence. In less than an hour the employees had pledged and raised more than $1200!!  Additionally, we were able to reach out to Embrace Pet Insurance and the company has generously donated a pet insurance policy for the puppy’s first year with Peyton, to cover accidents and illnesses.

Yesterday, Brad took Peyton and her family to meet potential puppies. They have found her ideal companion—a little 3-month-old male standard poodle! Peyton has named him Manning and he will spend the next two months being socialized and trained by living with Brad and attending Bark Tutor. At Christmas, Manning will go to his furr-ever home with little Peyton! We are looking forward to sharing Peyton and Manning’s story in the coming months.

In the meantime, if you found Peyton’s story as touching as we have, please consider making a donation to Peyton’s medical costs, as her family lives on one income and we’re sure the medical expenses can be overwhelming. To help, please send your donations to: 5/3 Bank of Westfield, Mike Cadenhead , Branch Manager; 3443 E St Rd 32, MD868111, Westfield, IN 46074. You can make the donation payable to: Peyton A. Medlin Account Number: 9653255092

The companionship of a pet enriches our lives. Studies have shown that the presence of a pet in your life can lower your blood pressure and reduce stress. Studies also show that the number one cause of pet euthanasia is the direct result of behavior problems that lead to surrendering of the pet. Our goal at Broad Ripple Animal Clinic and Wellness Center is to prevent behavior problems before they happen through early training, socialization, education, and bonding of the pet to the members of the adoptive family. This desire culminated in the Responsible Pet Partnership program (for kittens and puppies), available at Broad Ripple Animal Clinic, as well as the creation of Bark Tutor School for Dogs.

We are very pleased with the progress we’ve seen since opening Bark Tutor School for Dogs. Students benefit from individualized training, group classes and socialization, while their families learn how to get the responses they want from their dogs. Clients have been so pleased with the relationships they’ve been able to develop with their dogs that they are asking for more!

Later this month, we will be expanding our classes to include three new group classes that focus on enhancing you and your family’s relationship with your dog. The first class is Bark Tutor Kids Club. This class is designed specifically for kids between the ages of 5 and 12. The class will be similar to our obedience classes, but will allow things to be slowed down for younger family members. The class will also cover topics that relate to building bonds between kids and dogs, and preventing problems: handling exercise, how to play properly, bite prevention and more. All students must be accompanied by an adult. The Bark Tutor Kids Club will be meeting Wednesdays at 6:30pm.

Therapy Dog Preparation is a class that more and more people are interested in pursuing, especially after they’ve experienced success with their dog’s training. This class is designed to prepare the dog and his handler for work as a therapy dog. There are many types of therapy work a dog can do, and many people are interested in enhancing the lives of others who can’t have a pet in their lives due to assisted living, hospitalization, etc. Bark Tutor’s Therapy Dog Preparation class does not certify nor does it guarantee that a dog will be certified, as each therapy facility has their own set of requirements. At the end of 8 weeks, we will facilitate evaluations with a Delta Society Evaluator for our students. All dogs enrolling in Therapy Dog Prep must have a Canine Good Citizen, which Bark Tutor also offers. This class will be meeting on Thursday evenings at 7:45pm with a 6-dog limited enrollment.

Rally O is an exciting new dog sport. We feel it’s the ideal sport for dogs and their families who have enjoyed the training process and want to continue working with their dog in a fun, learning environment. Follow this link to view video examples of Rally O at http://tinyurl.com/p7u7at. The beginner Rally class will be on Sundays at 2:00pm, with a strict 6-dog maximum enrollment. All dogs enrolling in Rally O must have completed level 3 skills at Bark Tutor and have a Canine Good Citizen.

For more information about the programs available at Bark Tutor School for Dogs, visit our website at www.barktutor.com or call the school directly at 317.259.8336.