Prudi Koeninger, president of DFW Wildlife Coalition, and Happy Tails Dog Club members
Lorraine Wilson
Happy Tails Dog Club welcomed Prudi Koeninger, president of DFW Wildlife Coalition, to our May 13 meeting. Prudi provided great insight into how to live with the many creatures in our yards. One important takeaway was that the wildlife around us is not a threat to us. Even the bobcats and coyotes don’t want to mess with us—they just want to raise their families.
But there are ways to prevent the larger predators from settling in your backyard, such as to keep your bushes trimmed back and not to have a water source (there are things you can do if you have a pool) or food source available (such as leaving pet food outside). Bobcats and coyotes are naturally afraid and avoid humans, so it is vitally important to make any encounters uncomfortable for the animal by hazing them. Some of the suggestions for hazing are to leave outdoor lights on, shout, blow whistles, hit pots and pans together, throw rocks, and squirt water from a hose.
As pet owners, it is vitally important to manage all our pets. Pets the size of a rabbit or smaller are considered prey for a bobcat, coyote, hawk, and others. Cats should never be let out to roam outside, and dogs should never be left in your backyard unattended. If a bobcat or coyote is nearby, immediately pick up your small pet. Never corner wild animals or run away from them, as this can encourage chasing.
DFW Wildlife Coalition operates a hotline (972-234-9453) 365 days a year between the hours of 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., and they are available to answer questions and provide guidance and information about local wildlife.
At our June 10 meeting, we had two well-known dog trainers as guest speakers. Karen Ehler (Karen’s Elite Dog Training) and Kim Gaffey (Gaffey Dog Training) presented topics that included mental stimulation for dogs, best practices at the dog park, and identifying stress signals in dogs.
On Saturday, June 24, we will have our first-ever Patriotic Pet Pictures. This will be another fundraiser for the club and the perfect opportunity to show your pride in your dog, along with pride in our red, white, and blue! The event will be held in the CATC building from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Reservations will be available, and a sign-up list will go out to members first in a couple of weeks, then to everyone at Robson Ranch.
Happy Tails Dog Club exists for the purpose of improving quality of life for our companion animals, and we are dedicated to the education, socialization, and activities of our members. Membership in the Happy Tails Dog Club is $10 a year per household, and renewal is only $5 a year! Meetings are held monthly on the second Saturday in the CATC building, Room 103, from 10:20 a.m. to noon.