Dogs are a part of our family and therefore we want to provide each person the support they need. If you need advice or help training your dog, please reach out to Inquiries@marleysmutts.org
or call 661-556-7178

​We will do our best to give you information on trainers in your area.

Marley’s Mutts ensures that every rescue is spayed or neutered prior to adoption unless medical condition prohibits it. This is why:​

—Helps solve pet overpopulation which overwhelms our shelters and contributes to high rates of euthanasia.

—The principal benefit of spaying female dogs is that it helps prevent uterine infections and breast tumors, which are malignant or cancerous in about 50 percent of dogs.

—The major health benefit of neutering a dog is that it helps prevent testicular cancer and some prostate problems.

—Behavior benefits.

Puppies do best on a regular schedule. The schedule teaches them that there are times to eat, times to play and times to do their business. Typically, a puppy can control their bladder one hour for every month of age. So if your puppy is 2 months old, they can hold it for about two hours. Don't go longer than this between bathroom breaks or they’re likely to have an accident.

Take your puppy outside frequently—at least every two hours—and immediately after they wake up, during and after playing, and after eating or drinking.

Pick a bathroom spot outside, and always take your puppy (on a leash) to that spot. While your puppy is relieving themselves, use a specific word or phrase that you can eventually use before they go to remind them what to do. Take them out for a longer walk or some playtime only after they have eliminated.

Reward your puppy every time they eliminate outdoors. Praise or give treats—but remember to do so immediately after they’ve finished, not after they come back inside. This step is vital, because rewarding your dog for going outdoors is the only way to teach what's expected of them. Before rewarding, be sure they’re finished. Puppies are easily distracted and if you praise too soon, they may forget to finish until they’re back in the house.

Put your puppy on a regular feeding schedule. What goes into a puppy on a schedule comes out of a puppy on a schedule. Depending on their age, puppies may need to be fed two or three times a day. Feeding your puppy at the same times each day will make it more likely that they'll eliminate at consistent times as well, making house training easier for both of you.

Pick up your puppy's water dish about two and a half hours before bedtime to reduce the likelihood that they'll need to relieve themselves during the night. Most puppies can sleep for approximately seven hours without needing a bathroom break. If your puppy does wake you up in the night, don't make a big deal of it; otherwise, they will think it is time to play and won't want to go back to sleep. Turn on as few lights as possible, don't talk to or play with your puppy, take them out to the spot where they relieve themselves and then return them to bed.

Step 1: Scan for ticks

Start by running your fingers slowly over your dog's entire body. If you feel a bump or swollen area, check to see if a tick has burrowed there. Don't limit your search to your dog's torso. Check between their toes, around their legs, the insides of their ears and all around their face, chin and neck.

Step 2: Is it a tick?

Ticks can be black, brown or tan and they have eight legs. They can also be tiny; some species are only as large as the head of a pin.

Tweezers pulling an engorged tick out of an animal

Regularly check your pet even if you’re using a preventative. If you spot a tick, carefully remove it with tweezers. Jason Ondreicka / iStock.com

Step 3: Safe removal

EQUIPMENT

Gloves

Clean tweezers / tick remover

Disinfectant or antiseptic cream

Isopropyl alcohol

Stay safe! Always wear gloves while handling ticks to avoid contact with your skin.

USING TWEEZERS:

Grasp the tick as close to your dog’s skin as possible (without pinching your pet).

Pull it out slowly in a straight, steady motion. Don't jerk; anything left behind could lead to an infection.

USING A TICK REMOVER:

Gently press the remover against your pet’s skin near the tick.

Slide the notch of the remover under the tick, pulling it free.

Step 4: Cleanup and after-care

Drop the tick into isopropyl alcohol and note the date you found the tick. If your pet begins displaying symptoms of a tick-borne illness, your veterinarian may want to identify or test it. Some symptoms include arthritis or lameness that lasts for three to four days, reluctance to move, swollen joints, fever, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, loss of appetite and neurological problems.

Wash your hands, clean your pet’s wound with antiseptic and make sure to clean your tweezers with isopropyl alcohol.

Keep an eye on the area where the tick was to see if an infection surfaces. If the skin remains irritated or infected, make an appointment with your veterinarian.

Step 5: Prevent future bites

If you or your companion animals spend any time outdoors, you should routinely check for ticks. Ticks transfer between hosts, so it is important to check all family members after outdoor activities in wooded, leafy or grassy areas.

Comb your pet regularly with a flea comb, vacuum frequently and dispose of the bags immediately after use, mow areas of the lawn where your dog spends time, wash pet bedding weekly and wash your pet with a pesticide-free pet shampoo. In addition, to protect cats from fleas and ticks, as well as a host of other outdoor hazards, cats should be kept indoors at all times.

You can also ask your veterinarian about flea and tick preventatives.

Timing is everything

Correct timing is essential when using positive reinforcement. The reward must occur immediately (within seconds) of the desired behavior, or your pet may not associate it with the proper action. For example, if you have your dog sit but reward them after they’ve stood back up, they’ll think they’re being rewarded for standing.

Keep it short

Dogs don’t understand sentences. “Daisy, I want you to be a good girl and sit for me now” will likely earn you a blank stare. In fact, dogs learn first from our body language, so first work on encouraging your dog into a “sit” or “down” before asking them with a word. Holding a toy or treat, slowly move your hand over and slightly behind your dog’s head so that they have to sit to look up and view it. When your dog is sitting, you can lure them into a down position by slowly lowering your hand and bringing the reward close to the ground between their front paws.

Once your dog is performing the behavior consistently, start adding the word “sit” or “down” in a calm voice and try not to repeat the word. Keep verbal cues short and uncomplicated.

The most commonly used verbal cues are:

watch (eyes on me)

sit

stay

down (lie down)

off (get off me, someone else, the furniture)

up (stand up)

come (to me)

heel (walk close to my side)

leave it (don’t touch or pick up something from the ground)

drop or give (when trading something in their mouth for a treat or toy)

Consistency is key

Everyone in the family should use the same cues, otherwise your dog may get confused. It might help to post a list of cues where everyone can become familiar with them.

Consistency also means always rewarding the desired behavior and never rewarding undesired behavior.

When to use positive reinforcement

THE GOOD

Positive reinforcement is great for teaching your dog cues and it's also a good way of reinforcing good behavior. You may have your dog sit:

before letting them outside (which helps prevent door-darting)

before petting them (which helps prevent jumping on people)

before feeding them (which helps teach good mealtime manners)

Give them a pat or a "good dog" for lying quietly by your feet or slip a treat into a Kong-type toy when they chew that instead of your shoe.

THE BAD

Be careful that you don't inadvertently use positive reinforcement to reward unwanted behaviors. For example, if you let your dog outside every time they bark at a noise in the neighborhood, you're giving a reward (access to the yard) for behavior you want to discourage.

Shaping behavior

It can take time for your dog to learn certain behaviors. You may need to use a technique called "shaping," which means reinforcing something close to the desired response and then gradually requiring more from your dog before they get a treat.

For example, if you're teaching your dog to "shake," you may initially reward them for lifting a paw off the ground, then for lifting it higher, then for touching your hand, then for letting you hold their paw and finally, for actually "shaking hands" with you.

Types of rewards

Positive reinforcement can include food treats, praise, petting, or a favorite toy or game. Since most dogs are highly food-motivated, food treats work especially well for training.

A treat should be enticing and irresistible to your pet. Experiment a bit to see which treats work best.

It should be a very small (pea-sized or even smaller for little dogs), soft piece of food, so that they will eat it quickly and look to you for more. Don’t give your dog something they have to chew or that breaks into bits and falls on the floor.

Keep a variety of treats handy so your dog won't become bored getting the same treat every time.

Each time you use a food reward, you should couple it with a verbal reward (praise). Say something like "yes" or "good dog" in an enthusiastic tone of voice. Then give your dog a treat.

If your dog isn't as motivated by food treats, a toy, petting or brief play can also be very effective rewards.

When to give treats

When your pet is learning a new behavior, reward them every time they demonstrate that behavior. This is called continuous reinforcement. Once your pet has reliably learned the behavior, you want to switch to intermittent reinforcement.

At first, reward with a treat four out of every five times they do the behavior. Over time, reward three out of five times, and so on, until you’re only rewarding occasionally. Don’t decrease the rewards too quickly or your dog could become frustrated or confused.

Continue to praise every time—although once your dog has learned the behavior, your praise can become less excited.

Vary how often you provide the reward so that your dog doesn’t figure out that they only have to respond every other time, for example. Your pet will soon learn that if they keep responding, eventually they’ll get what they want—your praise and an occasional treat.

By understanding positive reinforcement, you'll see that you're not forever bound to carry a pocketful of goodies. Your dog will soon be working for your verbal praise, because they want to please you and know that, occasionally, they'll get a treat too.

The Fair Housing Act

The Fair Housing Act (FHA) is a federal law that prevents discrimination against tenants in their homes.

Under the FHA, a disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment which significantly limits a person’s major life activities. Even if a lease says "no pets" or restricts pets, landlords are required to make what is called a “reasonable accommodation” to allow pets who serve as assistance animals, which includes emotional support animals.

Assistance animals are in a different legal classification, which is why pet restrictions and fees are waived for them. They are animals that work, assist and/or perform tasks and services for the benefit of a person with a disability or provide emotional support that improves the symptoms of a disability.

There is no official certification or training for assistance animals and they can assist in a wide variety of ways. Breed and weight restrictions do not apply to assistance, service or emotional support animals.

Differences between service animals and assistance or emotional support animals

Service animals are categorized as animals trained to do a specific task for their owner. The most common example is a guide dog. Service animals are allowed in public accommodations because of the owner’s need for the animal at all times.

An assistance animal can be a cat, dog or other type of companion animal, and does not need to be trained to perform a service. The emotional and/or physical benefits from the animal living in the home are what qualify the animal as an assistance animal. A letter from a medical doctor or therapist is all that is needed to classify the animal as an assistance or emotional support animal.

The fact that the term “service animal” is often used by landlords and public housing authorities to refer to both service dogs and assistance animals often creates confusion.

SOME EXAMPLES OF ASSISTANCE ANIMALS

A cat who can detect and alerts their companion of oncoming seizures.

A dog who alleviates a person’s depression or anxiety.

A cat who reduces a person’s stress-induced pain.

A bird who alerts their hard-of-hearing companion when someone has come to the door.

Demonstrating your pet is an assistance animal

You should provide your landlord with a letter from your doctor/therapist stating you have a disability and explaining how your pet is needed to help you cope with this disability and/or improves its symptoms. Attach a brief personal statement explaining to the landlord that you are asking for “a reasonable accommodation to keep your pet who functions as a support animal.”

If your landlord refuses to accommodate

Landlords must agree to a reasonable accommodation request if the disability claim is true and if the request does not create a hardship on the landlord or other tenants. If your request for a reasonable accommodation is denied by the landlord, you have the right to request that a government agency investigate your claim that the landlord is discriminating against you.

YOU HAVE SEVERAL OPTIONS FOR FILING A COMPLAINT

You can file a discrimination complaint electronically with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Information about the process is located on the HUD website.

You can print and complete a HUD Discrimination Form and mail it to the appropriate HUD office.

Many states have a government agency that investigates discrimination claims. You can also file a complaint directly with your state’s agency.

Housing covered by the Fair Housing Act

All types of housing, including public housing, are covered by the FHA except rental dwellings of four or less units, where one unit is occupied by the owner; single family homes sold or rented by the owner without the use of a broker; housing owned by private clubs or religious organizations that restrict occupancy in housing units to their members.

Pet fees

Service, assistance and emotional support animals are not technically pets and owners do not have to pay pet fees. The landlord, however, can charge a security deposit and may still seek money from the tenant if there is any damage caused by the animal to the home. Also, if there is a nuisance issue the landlord does have the right to try to remove the animal through legal proceedings.

If you've ever had to put a beloved pet to sleep, then you know how heartbreaking it can be to lose a member of your family. At the end of a cat or dog's life, the peace of a quiet room, the soft embrace of someone who cares and a gentle, painless sleep induced by a trained technician is one of the kindest gifts we can offer.

When an animal is injected with proper euthanasia drugs, they lose consciousness in as little as three to five seconds. Contrast that with the workings of the gas chamber; if you're sensitive to animal suffering, its operation cannot help but disturb you. Animals are placed into a small, dark box, one that's sometimes full of the smells of the animals who came before them—many of whom may have urinated or defecated before they died.

If animals are placed in the chamber together, they may begin fighting out of fear and desperation. For several minutes, they may be in the box, terrified, clawing and calling for a way out. They may struggle for air or begin convulsing before finally losing consciousness.

Under the best circumstances, it takes minutes before an animal loses consciousness inside a gas chamber. But if the chamber is old or not well-calibrated—a frequent issue for the small number of under-resourced shelters that still use gas chambers—or if the animal is very young, very old, ill, injured, stressed or placed in the chamber with other animals, it can take much longer—as long as 20 minutes. In the worst cases, the animal is still conscious while their vital organs begin to shut down.

We all share the goal of ending euthanasia of adoptable pets and the HSUS works tirelessly to keep families together, reduce the number of pets who are surrendered to shelters, increase spay/neuter access and encourage pet adoption and fostering from shelters and rescue groups. Every pet or domesticated animal—within a shelter or in the community—is deserving of a humane death when they are suffering from untreatable and severe medical or behavioral conditions, and it is vital that euthanasia be performed with the same skill and compassion that we would expect to see if we brought our own suffering animal to a veterinarian for a final act of mercy.

While most shelters around the country practice humane euthanasia by injection of approved drugs, a few holdouts still use the gas chamber. The HSUS is committed to ensuring that the inherently inhumane nature of gas chambers becomes a thing of the past.

How is the HSUS helping to end the use of gas chambers?

For years, the HSUS has helped shelters voluntarily transition away from the gas chamber to the more humane euthanasia by injection by providing grants and training and has assisted with passing outright chamber bans. Since 2013, approximately 70 chambers in 14 states have voluntarily closed their chambers, outright bans on chamber use for pets have been passed or loopholes allowing certain chambers to continue to operate closed in California, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Utah. But there are only 24 states with full bans in place, five states with partial bans and two states in which gas chambers are still used. Our ultimate goal is to have bans passed in all 50 states so that no pet's life ever ends in a gas chamber.

Why do some shelters still use gas chambers?

Although the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has declared that euthanasia by injection is the most humane method of euthanasia currently available, it has failed to condemn the use of chambers in shelter settings. We believe this is a mistake. To be truly humane, the method used must not only be pain-free, but stress-free for the animal. Not only can gas chambers cause physical pain for ill, injured, old and young animals (the majority of animals facing euthanasia in shelters), they cause stress in 100% of animals forced into a chamber. Sadly, the AVMA's failure on this front has been used as a justification for continuing chamber use.

What can I do to help?

If your shelter still uses a gas chamber, share your concerns with shelter leadership and local officials, write letters to the editor and encourage your local media to cover the issue so your community is aware.

Encourage your state legislators to support a statewide gas chamber ban if your state doesn’t already have one.

If you know of a shelter that has recently made the switch to more humane alternatives, thank them!