News:

I had the opportunity to go up to Fort McMurray this past weekend for this years first Seminar... what a great success and so much fun! A huge thank you to Kristie Russo, our Certified Educator Trainer in Fort McMurray for organizing it, and of course everyone who attended. The rest of the seminar tour will start in May and reach 11 more cities. Most of them have been posted on our Seminar page, but we are still working on the details of the East coast and Alberta, so please hold tight, we hope to have all information and ability to purchase tickets within the next few weeks for those cities.

Michele Seger, General Manager of Caffe Artigiano in Westbank, BC, will be hosting a fundraiser event called "Companions to All~ Creating Humanity for Dogs", in support of "Unidos para Ayuda de Mascotas" in Manzanillo, Mexico. This even will be taking place on Thursday March 18th at 7:00pm at Caffe Artigiano in Westbank.

Michele contacted me to help her out and I will have the honor of being a guest speaker in the efforts to help raise money.

If you are interested in attending, please contact Michele Seger at 250-707-3518. For further information on the founder of Unidos para Ayuda de Mascotas, Silvia Beas, please visit her at www.gomanzanillo.com/features/UAM.

Photo topic for March 2nd - March 15th
Best in Senior Dog

Please submit your photos to Daniela at daniela@bradpattison.com. Within your e-mail, please include your name, phone number, dog's name, age and location.
Our team members will pick the winner for each week and post the picture in the gallery. At the end of the year, we will leave it up to you, the viewers to cast your vote on which 'Best In' photo wins. Hustle Up™ prize gear will be given to the top three voted.

Viewer Question of the Week:

Q: Dear Brad, We are losing our beautiful boy, an Aussie, Nelson, today. He is leaving us with many happy memories. We are concerned with how Max, his brother will respond and how to help him deal with his grief. Max is the alpha of the two. What should we do? Thanks for your input. We love the show and look forward to more new episodes.

A: The passing of Nelson and the continuation of Max. The passing of a dog is difficult and the one thing I remind my clients about and something that I needed reminding of when my Max passed away before Dez, was to allow the dog to mourn in its own way. You, as the dog caregiver have a huge responsibility to keep Max happy. It is very important to get Max out on new walks where life is different. Keep his spirits up. The more you revisit the old stomping grounds, the easier it is for you and your dog to fall into a sad state. If you are revisiting the old park where Nelson played , then you must celebrate and enjoy yourselves. I caution people to watch the behavior of the second dog who is still alive and focus on creating a happy home without dumping your own sadness onto the dog. It is not fair for the dog who is mourning itself and carrying your sadness. Cry away from Max and celebrate the happy amazing memories Nelson brought you. Depending on Max's age, be aware that he may pass within a year. This is quite common when two dogs are the best of friends, as it did with Dez and Max.
Celebrate celebrate celebrate... Nelson deserves that.

Brad

Video of the Week: