Hello, again. We hope you're keeping warm. The chilly weather hasn't interrupted our daily trips to the West Des Moines dog park. In fact, the day care “kids” don't seem to pay any attention to the cold-and snow is fun for romping!

We've got a good variety of stories and tips-about doggy day care and dogs-lined up for you this month. Remember, we always love to hear from you, especially if there's something you're curious about or would like to share. Feel free to contact Kellye Crocker, Newsletter Editor and Cosmo's “Mom,” at kelcrocker@mchsi.com or 278-5658.

• Mark Your Calendar-Glamorous models-many of them furry, with four legs-star in a March 10 fashion show for the Animal Rescue League of Iowa.

An article in the Pet Services Journal (November, 2005) stated that separation anxiety is an epidemic in the dog world. It is also a familiar occurrence at Greenbelt Kennels' doggy day care. In most of the clearly recognizable cases, the pet is stressed because of a feeling of abandonment or confinement. Drooling, defecating, urinating, chewing, scratching at doors or even jumping through windows are common signs of separation anxiety. Those pets do not understand how to be alone and, in some cases, are willing to injure themselves and damage surroundings to express that anxiety.

When Lazarus first joined us in day care, he would escape from anywhere-over the door, over the gate, through the gate or through the window. Not too many months later, Laz plays happily with his sibling and playmates. Now, only once in a great while, you can find him staring at that door he used to climb over, but he does not normally even try.

Honey, Rufus, Jake and Liberty just need to know there is a human close by. I think they prefer to play with their canine buddies, but they still need to know that we are somewhere near. Haley, Cash and Frankie, on the other hand, actually need a little one-on-one with a human and a tennis ball.

Most of our day care students are dropped off and picked up without a problem. That is a good sign. When a pet is hesitant to leave the owner and join a playgroup, it is a sure sign of separation anxiety.

Have you noticed, when picking up your pet, that a human walking into the day care area can trigger high emotion in the dogs? To deal with this, we make a point of entering the room as many times as possible throughout the day. Repetition is the key, so that this action becomes just another part of the dogs' day and not something that triggers anxiety. We are still working very hard on this one.

In all instances, at home or at day care, remaining calm is critical. The more anxious you become, the more anxious your pet will be. When your dog begins showing signs of being stressed-those signals might be shaking, panting, refusing to take food, snapping, wide eyes, whining or barking-it is best to physically ignore the behavior and wait for a more calm behavior. Remember that old saying: “Ignore the bad and reward the good!” It will work, but it takes some work. However, since we humans are the ones that created the problem in the first place by constantly trying to “humanize” our canines, we need to understand the consequences and be willing to put forth the effort to make a more stress-free world for them AND us.

If you come and go often, your dog will soon learn that he doesn't need to worry that you'll never return. Jean recommends that an owner pick up her purse and car keys, jingle the keys and tell her dog she will be right back. Leave the room for five minutes and return. The next time, make it ten minutes, and the next time, a little longer. Before long you can go to the grocery store without the dog tearing up the entire house. He knows you're coming back.

Homeless, adoptable pets will model the latest in spring collars, leashes and other frocks at the Animal Rescue League's Pet-a-Porter fashion show from 4-6 p.m., Saturday, March 10 at the Hy-Vee Conference Center in West Des Moines. (The show features human models in Talbot's spring clothes, too.) For more information, visit http://www.arl-iowa.org/aspx/generalcontent.aspx?pid=3&cid=37.

New York dog trainer Kate Connick's website offers oodles of free dog postcards that you can personalize and email to friends, including 29 for Valentines Day. She lets you select a picture-(how to choose? So many breeds, all so cute!), your type color and even “music” (including “Born Free” and “growling”). Click here to get started: onnick.com/postcards/page10b.html" http://www.kateconnick.com/postcards/page10b.html

Owner Jean Brown grew up on an Iowa farm surrounded by pets. Past careers include investment banking-“I was making lots of money, but I wasn't having any fun”-breeding and raising German Shepherds and showing dogs around the world. In her travels, she began noticing day care centers for dogs and thought the idea would help people in Iowa. She bought Greenbelt Kennels in 1999, and began offering day care from day one. “I've been fixing it up ever since,” she says. Honey, the sweet Yellow Lab with the husky bark, was one of her first “pupils.”

Brandon Roth and his wife, Camille, have worked at Greenbelt for six months. He's the kennel manager, she helps with grooming-and both take care of waste removal. The newlyweds also own Scooper Troopers, a local dog waste-removal business. (Get “the scoop” on their reasonably priced services at www.scoopertroopers.biz.) Their “kids” include-Chopper, a Black Lab/boxer mix; Roxsy, a Catahoula Leopard Dog Mix; and Cash, a Pit Bull puppy-as well as Dyna, their grey and white cat. Brandon says he loves getting everything ready for the daycare dogs each morning. “They are so much fun!”

Janelle Carr, the daycare and boarding attendant, has worked at Greenbelt for two years. “I've always loved working with animals,” she says. “I did volunteer work in an animal shelter in school.” Janelle shares her home with Chico, a Lab-Pit mix; Bailey, a Lab; Otto, a Brittany-Australian Shepherd mix; and Peaches, a Brittany-ranging in age from 1 to 8-as well as cats Tiny and Alex.

Elena Alvarez, Jean's granddaughter, has worked as a day care and kennel attendant for five years. “I love working with the dogs,” she says. “They always get me in a good mood.” Elena also helps train the dogs. She owns three-Emmy, a 10-month old Shiba Inu; Star, a Pit Bull puppy (and Cash's sister); and Luna, a 3-year-old German Shepherd Dog-plus a cat (Cheeto), a bird (Sunny) and a beta fish (Neo).

Mary Vansice, “Mom” to two beagles-Sweet Pea, 3, and Sammy, 7 months-has worked at Greenbelt for three years. She walks dogs, takes them to the dog park, gives baths, trims nails and make sure all the “kids” have enough water. Her favorite part of the job? “Playing with the dogs and helping Jean out.”

Gary Milbach grew up on a farm with dogs and cats and lots of farm animals, but isn't allowed to have pets where he currently lives. “I might look into owning another dog sometime in the future,” he says. A kennel attendant for a year, he enjoys walking the dogs, taking them to the dog park and giving baths.

Zipporah Woods has worked at Greenbelt for six months and says she does “a bit of everything.” She's “Mom” to Lazarus, a “2ish-year-old” Lab/Collie mix, LuLu, a 1-year-old Shiba Inu and Bob, an 8-plus-years-old box turtle. Zipporah says she loves “meeting all types of dogs-and their people!”

In a press release announcing the results, the AKC exclaimed, “Yorkies Have Their Year!” for edging past Golden Retrievers and German Shepherds for the first time to take second place. The popularity of small breeds continues to grow, an AKC spokeswoman notes. Read the entire press release here: http://www.akc.org/news/index.cfm?article_id=3112

The Des Moines Register has a searchable database of dog and cat names on its homepage. See the tan box to the left, and click on “search popular pet names.” http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage

• A Woman's Best Friend. Maddie, a 104-pound Golden Retriever who lives in Toledo, Texas, is credited with saving her owner's life after Sam Good suffered a seizure on an unheated back porch and feared she would freeze to death. “She just put her back under my belly and kept lifting and lifting,” Good told KLTV, Channel 7. Good said she couldn't get up, but Maddie eventually wiggled her onto her back and carried her to her bed. Here's the full story: http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=6057249&nav=1TjD

• Share the Love. On Valentine's Day, a group of dog lovers is launching the “Love Does Not Discriminate” campaign to bring attention to breed-specific legislation (laws and policies that focus on entire breeds, such as Pit Bulls, Rottweilers and German Shepherds, rather than targeting bad behavior by specific animals and their owners). Read the press release here: /" http://www.newswiretoday.com/news/13781/. Order your “Love Does Not Discriminate” mugs, trucker hats, key chains and shirts (and learn more) here: http://www.lovedoesnotdiscriminate.com/.

• Designer Dogs. Last Sunday, The New York Times Magazine carried a long story about mixing dog breeds. (Chopper, a Black Labradoodle, Gerti, a Black Goldendoodle and Izzy, a Puggle, are three of our “designer” day care friends.) I haven't had a chance to read the story yet-it's 11 computer pages-but it looks interesting. (If you're interested, you might want to print it out or save it on your computer. Stories on the Times' site are free only for a week.) Here's a bit from the story and the link:

So-called designer dogs became popular a decade ago, beginning with the Labradoodle and other poodle crosses that sought to affix the poodle's relatively nonshedding coat to other breeds. But the puggle, a designer dog with no clear design objective, seems to have set off an almost unintelligible free-for-all. Pugs alone are now being bred to Yorkshire terriers, Shih Tzus, bichon frisés, Pekingese, rat terriers, Boston terriers, dachshunds, Jack Russell terriers and Chihuahuas to create, respectively, Pugshires, Pug-Zus, Pushons, Puginese, Puggats, Pugstons, Daugs, Jugs and Chugs. [...]

Given the roughly 350 inherited disorders littering the dog genome, crossing two purebreds and expanding their gene pools can be “a phenomenally good idea,” according to one canine geneticist - if it is done conscientiously. [... But] for show breeders who have spent much of their lives studying and refining a single pure breed - like the men and women congregating next week at Madison Square Garden for the 131st annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show - the rise of mutts as commodities has been bewildering and embittering.

That's all the news this month. Why not give your dog and other animal friends a special treat on Valentine's Day to thank them for their unconditional love year-round? Stay warm!