Category Archives: Prevention

Dog-Harmony to host first humane education symposium

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To help keep dogs in their homes and out of shelters, Dog-Harmony Inc. is offering a low-cost day of seminars June 16 to help owners understand and train their pets.

The morning seminars, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., will cover topics such as “how to talk dog,” fear at the vet’s office, and what it takes to become a therapy team with a dog.

The afternoon seminars, from 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., offer strategies to help dogs that lunge and growl at other dogs, clicker training, and how to use playtime to teach dogs good behavior.

The seminars will be at Dog-Harmony’s new education and rescue headquarters, 237 Market St., off County Highway 393 north.

The seminars, for people only, will be conducted by trainers with the highest level of credentials.

For more information, visit the event page.

Purchase Your Ticket Now

Dog-Harmony and the Destin Library set to host humane education events

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Dog-Harmony has teamed up with the Destin Library to host a lecture series over the next few months. From workshops focusing on educating children to teaching you the difference between service dogs and therapy animals, this series will cover it all.

Upcoming events:
Children’s Humane Education Workshop
Feb. 27 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Cruelty or Neglect? Responsible Pet Ownership Workshop
Feb. 27 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

To sign up for these courses, please fill out the following form.

Humane Education Sign up

Dog-Harmony offers group training classes

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Dog-Harmony offers community humane education courses featuring group training classes. Nancy Bown, a Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) and Dog-Harmony’s founder, leads these courses at Dog-Harmony Headquarters, 3906 U.S. Highway 98 W, Unit 34, Santa Rosa Beach.

For more information about the individual classes, visit Dog-Harmony’s events page.

To sign up for one of these classes, please fill out the form below:

Group Training Class Sign Up

Destin Gives Back: Dog-Harmony

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By: Savannah Vasquez (Destin.com)
Nancy Bown said the mission of her non-profit, Dog-Harmony, is simple: Dog plus human equals family.

When she started the dog rescue, training and educational program five years ago, she said she never expected it to grow as quickly as it has. Now she said she has to limit the amount of rescue dogs they take in because of the extensive training and placement program that she implements.

“Last year we adopted 60 dogs,” she said. “We have a low intake compared to county dog shelters, but in five years we’ve only had two dogs come back. We have a very extensive training and background checking system, which makes sure they go to the right home.”

Bown is a certified dog trainer and runs a dog daycare – K 9-5 Doggie Daycare – during the day in Santa Rosa Beach, but said her true passion lies with Dog-Harmony.

“I was training dogs then people would pass away or have a dog that needed a home, so I started Dog-Harmony,” she said. “Then my accountant said, ’You need to start a 501 C-3. Now we are offering bite prevention classes free of charge in the schools, we have no-charge spay and neuter programs that run on scholarships and we had a new program called Trade it Out that encourages dog owners to trade their prong collars for more humane equipment free of charge.”

The educational aspect is really the focus of the non-profit, Bown explained. As a dog trainer, she said she wants to educate the community in order to prevent dogs from entering shelters in the first place.

“Really being a dog trainer and learning why dogs were ending up in shelters is what caused me to start Dog-Harmony,” she said. “The big factors are dogs biting children, or dogs not being spayed or neutered, or pet behavioral issues. My goal is to keep dogs from ending up in shelters to begin with.”

Currently Dog-Harmony is in the process of building a new facility in Freeport specifically designed for training and housing foster dogs as they await adoption. Bown said that the non-profit relies fully on community support and donations to keep it’s program running and there are several ways to give.

“We need money, so even a $5 donation really helps,” she said. “We also have the kiosk here at Grand Boulevard where we offer local art, dog toys, T-shirts and other unique items and 100 percent of the proceeds go to our programs.”

If adopting a dog is on your mind, Bown said there is one eager puppy waiting for a home; four-month-old Cooper.

“He is a border collie mix, he is very cute and very curious,” Bown said. “He knows how to walk on a leash, he knows ‘sit’ and he’s almost potty trained.”

As for volunteers, Bown said she welcomes all dog-lovers to apply.

“It’s all fun; everything we do is fun,” she said. “I don’t ever want Dog Harmony to be sad. When we receive a dog, that’s where their story begins. We don’t get caught up in whatever happened before.”

Published in the Northwest Florida Daily News

Keeping dogs safe in the heat

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SANTA ROSA BEACH, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – The founder of Dog-Harmony joined us in the studio to tell you how you can keep your dogs safe from the heat this summer.

There are some things you can do to make sure they don’t get a heat stroke. One thing is to make sure your pets drink enough water. You also shouldn’t leave them out in the sun too long. If you start to notice that they are panting more or their eyes and gums get red, it is a good idea to bring them inside.

For more tips or information on how you can adopt a dog, check out Paris’ interview. http://www.wjhg.com/content/news/Keeping-dogs-safe-in-the-heat-435582613.html

The Neuter Commuter to roll again

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Article here: http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/20170629/neuter-commuter-to-roll-again

The Neuter Commuter, which provides convenient, low-cost spay/neuter surgeries for dogs and cats, will take its next journey Monday, July 31.

Owners who want their pet sterilized may drop off their pets at Dog-Harmony at 3906 U.S. Highay 98 Unit 34 in Santa Rosa Beach at 6 a.m. The Neuter Commuter will then take the animals to a Panama City clinic for surgeries, according to a press release from Dog-Harmony.

After surgery, the Neuter Commuter will return the animals to Dog-Harmony after 3 p.m. for the owners to pick up.

Owners can arrange for a later pickup time if necessary, the press release said.

The Neuter Commuter and clinic are run by Operation Spay Bay, a nonprofit organization that has performed more than 19,000 spay/neuters.

Dog-Harmony transports the animals for free. Surgery cost is $60 for pets under 50 pounds and $80 for those heavier.

Appointments must be made at least one week in advance.

For more information and/or to make an appointment, call Dog-Harmony at 850-376-4190.

Why does my dog jump and how can I stop him?

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We loved this article that Pet Bucket just sent out. We also love Pet Bucket. 🙂  Did you know that Pet Bucket is the best for less expensive medicine? We love them – and if you order through our link here – we also get a discount for our rescue dogs. Our team member (and the one behind our site design) Chelsea uses it all the time for her two dogs. She loves the service, their products, and the cost is so much better than your local vet or online solution (and did you know it’s the same medicine?! It’s not a knock off or a cheaper option – it’s the same!!). Check out more here.

Okay, back to the article about how we can stop our dogs from jumping!

It may be cute in a puppy, but when your full-grown dog jumps up to greet you, it can be a nuisance and dangerous for children and elderly friends. Because dogs jump up to say “hello,” it can be difficult to break them of the habit. With some consistent training, however, you can teach your pet a more polite way to welcome you and your guests.   When puppies greet an older dog, they often lick the adult’s muzzle as an appeasement gesture. In the same way, your canine companion tries to meet you nose-to-nose, jumping on his hind legs to do so. To break your dog of his highflying habit, it is important to show him that you will only greet pets that have all four feet on the ground. If your dog jumps, don’t acknowledge him by pushing him off, but instead look over his head and turn away if necessary. As soon as your dog’s front paws are planted, reward him verbally and with affection or a treat, withdrawing your attention immediately if he hops on his hind legs again. Continue reading here.

Protecting Your Pup from Mosquitoes

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Such a great post on The Bark this week. Check it out…

This summer’s routine insect-prevention strategies are taking on a new urgency as public health experts warn that certain parts of the U.S. may experience outbreaks of the Zika virus, which has been linked to birth defects in Latin America.

As you protect yourself from any and all mosquitos this summer, don’t hurt your dog in the process!

The Centers for Disease Control recommends people use insect repellents that use of these ingredients:

  • DEET (used in Off, Deep Woods Off and Cutter)
  • Picaridin
  • IR3535
  • Oil of lemon eucalyptus
  • Para-menthane-diol.

Unfortunately, DEET can be poisonous to your dog. Ingesting it can cause your dog to have stomach problems, conjunctivitis, breathing difficulties and seizures.

Read more here.