Actress Kristina Klebe fosters cats and dogs!

Beauty, which is obvious, brains, she speaks multiple languages, and a heart to care for homeless pets! Kristina Klebe has fostered dogs and cats for shelters including “Best Friends” but wisely does not have a pet to call her own! “With my schedule as hectic as it is, it’s just not fair to have a pet at this point in my life.” Kristina sets a good example for those thinking of getting a pet. “It’s a long term responsibility!” Thanks for being with us Kristina and we look forward to seeing you on the Silver screen soon!
Kristina has appeared on “Law and Order,” “Law and Order: SUV,” “Rescue Me,” and the German television program “St. Angela.” She is also known for her leading role as Lynda in Rob Zombie’s remake of “Halloween.” Prior to this portrayal, Klebe played a part in Spike Lee’s 2004 seriocomic meditation , “She Hate Me.” Kristina’s film “Peter and Vandy” starring Jason Ritter premiered at Sundance 2009, and she is also starring in the upcoming film “The Accidental Husband” with Uma Thurman and Isabella Rossellini, set to be released mid 2009. You can visit Kristina Klebe at www.myspace.com/kristinaklebe

______________________________________________

PET RESCUE SHELTER OF THE WEEK

Even wild animals need a shelter sometimes. Check out this baby moose that lost its Mom and was rescued from a creek by an animal lover. This little guy can’t be more than days old and would have surely died. Hear the story on the show! We will resume our Pet Shelter segment next week!

Baby moose on Left

Moose Kiss

______________________________________________

VET TOPIC OF THE WEEK

Dr. Patrick Mahaney “Vet to the Stars” talks about the phenominon of “CyberChondriac!” Are you a Cyberchondriac? I know I was when I first brought Butch home!

______________________________________________

QUICK UPDATES & LINKS

Steep Vet bills doom more pets – courtesy of MSNBC - It may be a good time for that Pet insurance policy!

Ohio Petland Pet Stores Accused of Scheme to Sell Sick Puppies - Let’s keep an eye on this!

Here is the FDA link to our Peanut Recall info. (it’s at the bottom of the page.)

_______________________________

Listen to the My Buddy Butch Talk Show #32 now Join us again next week! As always our shows are available on Apple iTunes and on our own site. All shows stream 24/7 on our site and can be downloaded in mp3 format from our BTR site.  

ONLY A FEW DAYS LEFT! Get the FREE SHIPPING for My Buddy Butch until March 31st at our site by entering the Code MD0908 at MyBuddyButch.com  Enter the code in the “Comments” box! Or better yet use the Toll FREE number to order 800-247-6553! Read More Reviews of the Book HERE!

You can also request an “Autographed” copy!

BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD FINALIST – FORWARD MAGAZINE (Winner announced in May 2009) 

WINNER – MOM’S CHOICE AWARD – ADULT NON-FICTION.

USA BEST BOOKS AWARD FINALIST – USA BOOK NEWS!

HONORABLE MENTION – NEW YORK BOOK FESTIVAL

 My Buddy Butch – Confessions of a New Dog Dad is a family friendly book and makes a great gift!   AMAZON.COM, BORDERS BOOKS, BARNES & NOBLE  

Some may say that I am giving dogs too much credit in comprehending your mood and their surroundings but I think not. Once the bond is built between a dog and its owner, that bond can be very strong and no outsider (except possibly another dog owner) can understand this concept.

Focusing on one particular toy, a tennis ball, a plastic football, a tug rope, or squeaking toy that your dog seems to like better than the others, is a great way to start to create that bond. Always start playing with this one recognizable toy during every play time and make sure it is a toy that is easily replaceable with an EXACT duplicate including size and color. For Butch, it is his BLUE porcupine football. Believe it or not, not all dogs have the same degree of colorblindness and can distinguish many colors but this is another topic . Every time we play, we always start with that same ball for at least a few tosses, and then we may move on to something else. If we are outside, it’s on to the Frisbee or flying fiber disc. This also helps keep him calm if we go on long trips. Just knowing that our familiar ball is with us keeps him a little calmer.

Another helpful tip is, NEVER intentionally trick your dog while playing. Play period is a trust building exercise for both of you. This doesn’t matter if the dog is a puppy or a rescue dog. Building trust is part of the bonding process and pretending to throw a ball and hiding it behind your back repeatedly is not a good way to build that trust. After you have a couple of years with that dog under your belt, then maybe, once in awhile a fake throw is not a bad thing. But, if you are playing “fetch” with your dog, and it is running away from you to get something that it thinks you threw, you better make darn sure that something is waiting for him or her when they get there!

Another important tip is NEVER startle your dog on purpose and I mean NEVER! I am the biggest prankster that I know and there have been plenty of times when I was able to sneak up on Butch while he was sleeping or had his eyes closed. A younger version of me would have done something or made a loud noise to wake him. Being the older and hopefully wiser version, when ever I approach Butch while he is sleeping he has always been met with a soft caress on the head and now he doesn’t even flinch when I walk by. He just opens his eyes and then goes right back to sleep. This has taken time for him to know that I am no threat to him and he now TRUSTS me implicitly. Our high level of trust and strong bond is all due to the restraint of childish antics on my part that at one time I probably would have done. Just as you know a puppy or a new dog will startle at every little sound in its new surroundings, it is our job as owners or “Dog Parents” to make sure that they do not flinch at anything we do in a normal act of living. They may flinch at first while adjusting but this should end after they become familiar with their new surroundings. Consistent behavior is the key to developing the bond that your dog so badly wants to have with you. Patience, love, and understanding are the keys to the castle in this case. It’s like any relationship really, you can help it to grow but betrayal will ruin it very quickly.

Butch and I have had almost 4 years together now and I can verify that Butch knows I love him and he loves me right back. It can be a slow process but it is one of the most rewarding I have ever gone through!