It is awesome that Revelation Gardens provided a true sanctuary for this special needs senior in his final year. He could have had a sad end to his long life, but instead he had a safe, caring exit. Thank you Dawn and others working…
dog and cat sanctuary
Dawn Harris founded the Benton County, TN nonprofit Tree of Life Education Center (focusing on community outreach and resource alignment for pet owners), Revelation Gardens (a dog and cat sanctuary), and Reset Your Defaults (offering virtual retreats and stress reduction tools for pet owners).
Simple Strategies for Living Life Well: The Power of Toys
By Dawn Harris
Our dog and cat sanctuary is home to rescue-pets from 9- weeks old to 16-years old. We see all kinds of pet behaviors including grief and aggression. Often when a rescue comes to live at the sanctuary, they are afraid but slowly they begin to build trust and become content and playful. It is so rewarding to see a rescue-pet that hid on their first day, learn to play with toys and snuggle up to nap with a new rescue-brother or sister.
Sometimes though, pets show behaviors that can be challenging especially when life is very full and the behaviors are destructive or aggressive. There are really great books and videos available that provide ideas on how to work with difficult behaviors. One simple strategy I found that works really well with my aggressive, dominating puppy dog is the use of toys.
When my rescue-pet puppy began to gnaw on her rescue-brother, I found myself unsure how to stop her. Through trial and error I found toys to be a very effective distraction and method of training. Now I am a firm believer in the power of toys!
It was important to find very durable toys because toys can be harmful if they are torn apart and ingested. Once I found durable toys, I gave both dogs a bunch of toys exclaiming how special they were that they had so many toys. By making a big deal out of the toys and speaking in an upbeat way, they associated the toys with feeling good.
I began to condition the aggressive puppy through consistent use of the key word TOY and the upbeat positive tone in which I spoke it and I provided lavish praise when she played with a toy. This coupled with her experience of comfort the toy provided when she chewed on it instilled in her a very positive experience with toys.
Over time when she became aggressive and began to dominate and gnaw on her rescue-brother, I used the keyword TOY and she would find a toy choosing to chew on it rather than him.
Even though this has been very effective, it doesn’t work 100% of the time. Sometimes even when I do all the right things, the outcome is not what I want or expect. So, what do we do when our best efforts don’t work the way we intend?
Stay tuned for more Simple Strategies for Living Life Well when I talk about letting go of expectations.
Until then, remember to purr often, wag without hesitation, and nap in the sun at every opportunity!
If you would like to use toys as a way to curb difficult pet behaviors but cannot afford them, or if you would like me to answer a pet related question, please email me at dawnharris.22@gmail.com
If you are a store manager and would like to donate durable toys or if you are a community member interested in providing a donation, please send an email to dawnharris.22@gmail.com.
Each Sunday at 2pm (CST) we sit down and talk about all things related to pets!
Our podcast is recorded on Facebook Live then
uploaded here as an MP4 and MP3 for your listening pleasure.
April 11, 2021
positive dog training
facilitated by angie tucker
with special guest kristi may, owner of legend acres
Mp4 (video)
mp3 (audio)
April 4, 2021
~easter sunday~
how volunteers save lives
facilitated by angie tucker
with special guest tabrea faulkner
mp4 (video)
mp3 (audio)
March 28, 2021
~Respect your cat day~
books with pets as a main character
facilitated by dawn harris
with special guest angie tucker
MP4 (video)
MP3 (audio)
March 21, 2021
indoor vs outdoor needs
facilitated by angie tucker
with special guest dr. elizabeth paschall, camden animal clinic
mp4 (video)
Mp3 (audio)
March 14, 2021
what to do if you find an animal in need
FACILITATED BY angie tucker
with SPECIAL GUEST Tracy chapman, director of the benton county animal shelter
MP4 (Video)
MP3 (audio)
March 7, 2021
the importance of spay/neuter and Strategies for introducing a new pet into the home
facilitated by angie tucker
with special guest angela jones, lead writer for The Camden Chronicle and
Dawn Harris, founder and president of revelation gardens
MP4 (video)
MP3 (audio)
April 18, 2021
~national pet day~
Pets and plants and the stress reduction benefits of gardening
facilitated by angie tucker
with special guest Mary Gledura
mp4 (video)
mp3 (audio)
April 25, 2021
pet nutrition
May 2, 2021
Pet health
May 9, 2021
~Mother’s day~
emotional benefits of having pets
May 16, 2021
physical benefits of having pets
May 23, 2021
Pets and children
May 30, 2021
pets and older adults
June 6, 2021
Summer temperatures and pets
June 13, 2021
selecting the right breed
June 20, 2021
~father’s day~
Adopting vs buying
June 27, 2021
aging pets
July 4, 2021
~independence day~
fireworks and pets
July 11, 2021
~all american pet photo day~
Fun with Pets: pet enrichment
July 18, 2021
nutrition
July 25, 2021
dangers to pets: foods to avoid
August 1, 2021
~dog-ust shelter birthdays~
Preventative treatments: Ticks, fleas, heartworms
August 8, 2021
~inernational cat day~
August 15, 2021
~national check the chip day~
should you microchip your pet?
August 22, 2021
~national take your cat to the vet day~
Communicating with animals
August 29, 2021
Pet owner stress reduction tips
September 5, 2021
~labor day weekend~
bridging gaps to pet ownership
September 12, 2021
housing issues
September 19, 2021
~national meow like a pirate day~
trash talk
September 26, 2021
~World’s largest pet walk~
Bringing in a new pet to a household that already has pets
October 3, 2021
~National walk your dog week~
Books about pets
October 10, 2021
October 17, 2021
~National fetch day~
October 24, 2021
October 31, 2021
~Halloween~
Superstitions
November 7, 2021
Winter temperatures and pets
November 14, 2021
gratitude
November 21, 2021
Table scraps: dos and don’ts
November 28, 2021
December 5, 2021
~celebrate shelter pets day~
Holiday dangers for pets
December 12, 2021
December 19, 2021
December 26, 2021