Owner-Trainer:
Melanie Phillpot
Member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers
(352) 871-5698 eager.pup@hotmail.com |
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ADOPTION
If you're looking to adopt a dog, puppy, kitten or cat, check out
GainesvillePetRescue.org.
I volunteer there weekly as an adoption counselor and as a foster parent. Animals are usually selected from Alachua
County Animal Control and put into our foster care program where their medical and social needs are addressed in
regular human homes. Foster families keep a journal on each animal during their stay. This journal is a tremendous
help in assessing an animal's temperament, skills and experiences, to help select an animal that is right for you.
The usual adoption fee is $100 and includes all care to date, including immunizations, medications and surgery. Adoption applications, foster
care applications, volunteer applications and all available animals are all listed on the website at
GainesvillePetRescue.org.
I offer a 20% course discount to dogs adopted from GPR!
NOTE: GPR has moved to a new site, one mile west of I-75 on Archer Road, next door to Dog Wood Park.
Other adoption agencies in town include:
Puppy Hill Farm
Haile's Angels
Humane Society
Alachua County Animal Control
Animal People
SPCA of Gainesville
OTHER TRAINERS
If I don't offer the services you need, check with Class Act For Dogs at classactfordogs.com. Marni Fowler and Dee Zurburg also specialize in positive reinforcement methods and have a wide range of experience!
HEALTH CARE
For progressive and personalized medical care for both large and small animals check out Lake Area Animal Hospital in Melrose and in Hawthorne. Doctors and staff provide absolutely top-notch, professional care!
NUTRITION
PetNutritionProducts.com
is a small Apopka, FL company that supplies excellent products for the health of
your pet. I particularly like and recommend their Gentle Shampoo. It is tearless, lathers great and most
important of all, won't interfere with your flea protection. Did you know that "regular" shampoos
contain detergent or soap which significantly reduces the effectiveness of your spot-on flea protection?
Flea protection is water-proof but not soap-proof. Be sure to use a product
that is soap-free and detergent-free. I also like the breath biscuits they offer.
Check out their site. Prices are reasonable and shipping is lightening fast! When you chose to
purchase something always use code PAW710 at checkout. I get a 15% commission and give 100% of that to
Gainesville Pet Rescue! They also give another 5% to pet agencies. It's a great deal all around!
TRAINING SUPPLIES
Visit petexpertise.com,
for quality, positive training equipment, treats, gifts and more!
SEARCHING
Use
GoodSearch.com
as your new search engine and designate Gainesville Pet Rescue as your beneficiary.
It costs you nothing and GPR gets a penny every time you search. Spread the word!
PET-FRIENDLY LIFESTYLE
An excellent resource for additional places to play and to stay with your pets in Florida is
Floridapets.net. This is a great site to find pet friendly hotels, eateries, beaches,
emergency shelters, parks and much more! The webmistress does a very conscientious job of
keeping information up to date and accurate. She also has put together an excellent Pet Care
Library. See the article on Dog Park Safety. Be sure to bookmark this site and check back
often!
Get trained and get out and about with your canine companion. Enjoy travel and exploration throughout wild Florida.
Visit this extraordinary website -
wildflorida.com.
DOG PARKS
Gainesville has 3 official, free, off-leash dog parks. Each is securely fenced.
Each has a fresh water supply and provisions for dog waste disposal. All three parks have some
sun and some shade. None of them have a pond or other open water. Each park has plastic chairs
or benches for limited seating. A 4th city dog park is in the planning stages, to be located
within Possum Creek Park on Millhopper (NW 53rd Ave.) just east of NW 43rd Street. One very
nice, private, dog park is located in Gainesville at Dog Wood Park, on the south side of Archer
Road, 1 mile west of I-75. There are also a few,
small, unofficial, private dog parks at various apartment complexes in the city. The existing
3 city-owned dog parks are:
Northeast Park - on NE 16th Ave., just east of Main Street, south side of 16th Ave. Park also has
ball fields, picnic tables and racquetball and tennis courts. Dog area is behind these.
Squirrel Ridge Park - on Williston Road, just west of SW 13th Street, south side of Williston Road.
Largest of the city dog parks. Adjacent to fire house. Park also has picnic areas outside dog park area.
Forest Park - on SW 20th Ave., just west of SW 43rd St., on south side of 20th Ave., adjacent to fire
house and soccer fields. Park also has sand-volleyball and pavilion.
Remember to keep your dog on lead until you are in the dog park and then unleash it quickly. Pick up
after your dog. Be sure your dog has access to fresh water. Supervise your dog at all times and be
prepared to call it away or distract it if trouble arises. If your dog is afraid or uncomfortable at
the park, take your dog outside the fence and just watch, or leave and come back another time.
Dogs always tell the truth! Honor your dog's communications - happy, fearful, worried, aggressive.
If you have the only big dog or the only small or young dog at the park, think twice about entering
and observe the other dogs' play first. Know your dog's play style and consider that before entering
also. Keep an eye on dog wrestling matches. They're nearly always great fun but if two dogs are onto
a third dog it can quickly escalate into a problem, particularly if a fourth or fifth dog joins in.
If dog play gets too frenzied for your comfort, or any dog's safety, calmly walk your dog away for a
cool down and redirect it to another activity. Don't physically reprimand another owner's dog. Most dog issues are quickly
worked out between the dogs without owner intervention. If you bring a toy, be prepared to share
it and possibly lose it. Some dogs retrieve balls, some grab 'em and run for a wild game of chase.
It's all fair play. Some dogs are gentle with Frisbees and some will destroy one in a matter of seconds.
Dog parks are a wonderful asset to our community! The parks are a great way to exercise your dog and
to keep it socialized with people and other dogs. They're also a good place to practice your training
in manners and obedience, with and without distractions. You are sure to meet lots of fun people and
great dogs! Be alert, considerate and have a great time!
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